The Last of Us: Is a Zombie Fungal Pandemic Science Fiction or a Real-Life Possibility?

The HBO hit series "The Last of Us" is based on some real biology, but experts say the premise of a fungal pandemic in humans is science fiction, at least for now. In "The Last of Us", a fungus called cordyceps turns humans into mind-controlled zombies. While cordyceps fungus exists in our world, it only infects insects, often ants, where it produces neurotoxins that change their behavior. But is it a threat to human health?

"By nature, fungi and molds typically do not spread person-to-person, with few exceptions." "For this specific cordyceps to make the leap from its niche species to humans is really impractical, unless it went through a significant amount of evolution in a short period of time." Dr. Scott Roberts from the Yale School of Medicine explains that fungi rarely cause problems in humans, and when they do infect someone, transmission is not a major concern. "This contrasts with viruses, where if someone sneezes, ten people could be exposed, and transmission occurs quickly. Fungi and mold, on the other hand, haven’t shown this kind of spread."

However, Dr. Roberts says the show’s premise—that rising temperatures and climate change are setting us up for pandemics—is believable. "He predicts that with climate change and rising global temperatures, we will see more species, including fungal and mold species, adapt to these higher temperatures, which could increase the risk of them infecting humans as well." He also points to a new species called 'Candida auris', "which has been discovered in healthcare settings and has been involved in person-to-person outbreaks. However, it’s not like someone infected with it would experience the dramatic behavioral changes depicted in the show."

While Dr. Roberts isn’t worried about a fungal pandemic right now, he is grateful that the show is raising awareness about these organisms.