'The Last Of Us' Fictional Fungal Pandemic: Could It Happen In Real Life?

HBO’s latest Sunday night phenomenon, “The Last of Us,” has been captivating millions of viewers weekly with its take on what a post-apocalyptic world might look like after a global fungal pandemic infects most of the population.

Could this fungus infect humans in real life?

The first scene of the series features a fictional 1960’s interview with a scientist who claims fungal infections are one of the biggest threats to mankind. He warns that our warming world could make humans more susceptible to certain types of fungal infections.

His direst warning: With just one gene mutation, "Any one of them could become capable of burrowing into our brains and taking control not of millions of us, but billions of us."

He goes on to add that there is no cure or treatment, and it’s not possible to create one.

The fictional scientist is referring to a real-life fungus called Cordyceps. One particular strain of Cordyceps infects ants, taking over the ant’s body and controlling its actions. The fungus forces the ant to move to a wet, humid spot on a leaf right before it dies – the perfect environment for Cordyceps to grow and spread.

Real-life scientists say it’s not likely that a pandemic like this could happen to humans. Insect bodies present an ideal environment for Cordyceps to thrive. Human bodies do not.

“Cordyceps is not adapted to grow at our internal body temperature, nor is it able to contend with our immune system … It would take many thousands of years of evolution for it to overcome this,” Rebecca Drummond, an associate professor in immunology and immunotherapy at England’s University of Birmingham, wrote for The Conversation.

And the bit about our warming world making a genetic mutation possible? That's not quite the case. However, scientists do say that we’re starting to see different kinds of fungi in places where we normally wouldn’t.

The World Health Organization has a list of fungal infections that are most threatening to humans. The list includes Cryptococcus neoformans, which can cause meningitis. Another is Aspergillus fumigatus, which is a type of mold that causes lung diseases.

So should society be prepping for a fungal-pandemic apocalypse? Probably not.

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