Can fungal outbreaks turn people into zombies?

The series The Last of Us, adapted from the popular video game, is one of the most discussed works of the last period. The series tells the story of millions of people who have been turned into zombies due to a fungal infection, and people who are fighting for survival in this terrible world. However, both the original video game and the series adaptation are inspired by the real mushroom! From a fungus that penetrates the body through its spores, grows there and takes possession of the mind of the body in which it settles! It seems that a mushroom with such scary properties can only be found in video games or television series, but a mushroom called “Cordyceps” is quite real! Moreover, cordyceps is not the only fungus that can cause various and very serious problems to humanity! So can a fungal epidemic turn people into zombies like in the show? Let’s see what science has to say about this question that has been raised recently in connection with The Last of Us…

In The Last of Us universe, cordyceps fungus causes millions of people to turn into zombies

What’s scarier than the zombie scenes in The Last of Us universe is that the cordyceps mushroom is a real-life creature. Moreover, in fiction there are the same features as in the universe! It is known that the fungus completely takes over the body and mind of a living being after it enters its body. So theoretically the fungus Cordyceps could turn millions of people into zombies! However, according to some scientists, we do not need to be afraid of turning into a zombie because of the cordyceps fungus!

Microbiologist from Utrecht University Dr. Charissa de Becker believes that Cordyceps fungus cannot turn humanity into zombies

According to Becker, our body temperature protects us from the danger of turning into a zombie. Becker described this situation as “Our body temperature is too high for most fungi to settle down and grow optimally. This also applies to cordyceps.he expresses. The main target of this dangerous fungus is ants!

Cordyceps is a fungus that can turn certain types of insects, especially ants, into actual zombies! Scientists say the Cordyceps fungus has historically evolved to specialize in infecting certain types of insects. For this reason, according to Becker, it would be rather surprising if the fungus could infect and infect humans from these insects. For this reason, the fact that the cordyceps fungus turns people into zombies is not something scientists predicted, at least not in the short term. However, according to some experts, Cordyceps is not the most dangerous type of fungus that can threaten humanity!

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that it considers 19 different types of fungi “of concern”.

The 19 different types of mushrooms are an extremely small group considering the mushroom family has millions of different species. However, 1.7 million people die each year from fungal diseases. In particular, fungal species called Candida Auris and Mucormycosis (black fungus) are said to pose a serious threat to human life.

The fungus Candida Auris, after entering the body, can affect the nervous system and internal organs!

The World Health Organization claims that half of the people infected with this fungus have died! Scientists say the mushroom is a “monster” that has appeared over the past 15 years, but now it can be seen in almost every region of the world.

What makes the Candida Auris fungus a monster is that it is resistant to almost all therapies that have been developed. The main foci of the spread of the fungus are hospitals. Some doctors say the fungus could cause an epidemic that could bring the entire healthcare system to a halt if precautions are not taken.

According to scientists, humanity should take mushrooms more seriously!

Many bacteria and viruses are spread through coughs and sneezes. However, fungi are much more likely to infect humans. Moreover, almost all over the world there are many different types of mushrooms. When all this comes together, mushrooms could become a much more serious threat in the near future. However, the likelihood that any kind of fungus will turn humans into zombies is quite low. However, scientists agree that these creatures should be taken much more seriously.

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