Could the fungus from the HBO series The Last of Us turn humans into zombies one day? Here’s what biologists say

Fungal pathogen wiping out much of humanity in HBO’s latest series last of yous true, but can Cordyceps actually turn humans into zombies someday?

Rebecca Shapiro, assistant professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Guelph, told Craig Norris, host of CBC Kitchener-Waterloo. Morning newspaper.

In the TV series, a fungus infects human brains and turns them into zombies.In real life, you can only infect ants and other insects this way.

Shapiro believes the series does a good job of realistically portraying fungi and their behavior, but the reality is that it takes fungi millions of years to figure out how to adapt and infect humans. I guess. Last of us.

Humans are too warm and complicated for this particular fungus to jump to infect humans, she said.

But there are many fungi that infect humans, although they rarely cause fatal conditions such as yeast infections and athlete’s foot, James Scott, a professor at the University of Toronto’s Dalarana School of Public Health, told the CBC. metro morning.

Fungi can easily infect people who are immunocompromised or have underlying medical conditions. What happened in India in 2021 When more than 4,000 COVID-19 patients died from Mucor infection.

“There is a growing population of people living with vulnerabilities, underlying diseases, or with compromised immune systems, and as the proportion of the population increases, more people are susceptible to fungal diseases. said Shapiro.

According to Scott, there are two main types of fungi of concern in Ontario. one called Blastomycescan cause pulmonary infections, often presenting as fatal skin lesions.

The fungus is common on the northern shores of Lake Superior and the eastern side of the Gulf of Georgia, Scott said. In 2021, in a small indigenous community in northern Ontario, he contracted more than a dozen people with the fungus and two died.

Another found in Ontario, Histoplasma capsulatumassociated with the accumulation of bird and bat droppings.

“As populations of these other animals are affected by this type of disease, it will have a negative impact on us. , is a big concern in the big picture,” Scott said.

Climate change and new pathogens

With climate change on people’s minds, Shapiro said there is reason to suspect that rising global temperatures could cause new fungal pathogens to emerge in our environment.

Fungi are found in soil and trees and are well adapted to environmental temperatures, she explained.

“As environmental temperatures rise, they adapt better to those warmer temperatures, which begin to be closer to the temperature of the human body,” Shapiro said.

Scott also said that human activities, such as rainforest clearing and other activities that cause climate change, may also increase opportunities for human-fungal interactions.

Drug resistance to certain fungi is also of concern.

white earsFor example, recently emerging fungal pathogens of concern are noted by both Scott and Shapiro. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the fungus is multidrug resistant, difficult to identify, and can occur in medical settings.

The weather is definitely changing, as we saw in much of Southern Ontario last week. higher than normal temperature.

Environment Canada meteorologist Jeff Coulson says climate change will bring changes to flora and fauna.

“There are species of wildlife that are encroaching further north and affecting wildlife that was already established here before we arrived, as well as types of plants,” he said.

“These changes are definitely happening. Species that didn’t survive the winter 20, 30, 40 years ago now stay in our climate all year round.”

He said that as the weather changes, there may be more distractions for alien species.

Climate change and evolving health patterns all sound like ideal conditions for a fungal pathogen outbreak, but Shapiro said this information and the fictional series on the issue shouldn’t scare people. I got

A ‘Fresh Take’ on Zombie

Alex Pinto Lobo, a video gamer from Kitchener, Ontario, hasn’t seen the HBO series yet, but video games based on it are something he often plays.

Pinto Lobo said, “It’s a really great story with a lot of great characters.

He said Last of Us Video games were a “refreshing change” from the typical war game. call of dutywhich was popular at the time.

“This story was a fresh take on zombies and a lot more frightening in nature than people thought.”

However, he’s not worried about the validity of the fungal zombie apocalypse.

Having experienced a pandemic, I don’t think we can destroy it so quickly.– Pinto Wolf

“After going through a pandemic, I don’t think we can destroy it so quickly,” Pinto Lobo said.

Shapiro is happy that the show is raising awareness of fungal pathogens, but he wants to remind people that fungi are a huge kingdom with millions of species.

“There are a number of things that can cause disease in humans, but they play these truly amazing roles in our lives and are incredibly beneficial in supporting human life. doing.