Could fungus from show ‘Last of Us’ really happen?
In HBO’S “The Last of Us,” a “zombie ant” fungus starts to infect humans, causing the end of the world as we know it. The fungus from the show, called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, exists in real life.
Are we in danger of a zombie ant apocalypse anytime soon? Probably not. But there are fungi that can infect humans in Texas and around the world.
Could a ‘zombie ant’ fungus survive in humans?
When we think of a pandemic today, the coronavirus immediately comes to mind. Viral pandemics aren’t the same as fungal ones, according to Floyd Wormley, a researcher of fungal infections and associate provost for research at Texas Christian University.
Viruses need to enter the human body and hijack cells to cause a disease. Fungi, in contrast, can grow on their own and can cause disease either on or inside the body. But very few fungi “can actually survive inside of our bodies and cause disease,” according to Wormley.
That’s also a key reason why the “zombie ant” fungus from “The Last of Us” is unlikely to make its way to humans in the near future. Our warm-blooded, bodies are too hot for the fungus to thrive.
“It’s too hot in the kitchen,” Wormley said. “So they cannot handle it.”
But some fungi are able to infect the human body. Candida auris, for example, is a type of yeast that can enter the bloodstream and has caused outbreaks in healthcare settings like hospitals. Candida auris infections are resistant to most antifungal drugs, making them hard to treat. Severe Candida auris cases can be fatal.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 160 clinical Candida auris cases in Texas in 2022, out of 2,377 total in the United States. A 2022 World Health Organization ranking of disease-causing fungi listed Candida auris in its critical priority group, meaning that more research and policy changes are needed both to understand the fungus and prevent future outbreaks.
Can climate change hasten fungi spread?
At the beginning of “The Last of Us.” the scientist Dr. Neuman speculates that climate change might cause the zombie ant fungus to evolve so that it can survive at higher temperatures, eventually allowing it to infect the human body.
If global warming gets to a point where Ophiocordyceps unilateralis can survive in the human body, Wormley said, we will have much bigger problems to tackle, like severe drought and famine.
But modern-day climate change may help one fungal infection spread further east and north.
The fungus Coccidioides lives in the soil of the southwestern United States, including west Texas. It’s also found in Mexico and parts of Central and South America. When wind or farm workers stir up the soil, people can breathe in the fungus, leading to an infection called valley fever.
Wormley said the fungus causes pneumonia-like symptoms that many people can fight off on their own, but the fungus can spread to the brain in rare, more severe cases. Doctors can prescribe antifungal medications for people at higher risk of developing severe symptoms of valley fever, including those who are immunocompromised.
Coccidioides survives best in arid areas. But as global warming raises temperatures across the country, there’s a chance the fungus’ endemic area — the area where the fungus can survive — could expand further east and north, including into North Texas, according to Wormley and Chiung-yu Hung, an associate professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio who studies Coccidioides infections.
No vaccines exist to prevent fungal infections. But researchers like Hung and Wormley are trying to develop vaccines and drugs that can treat and prevent these infections.
Fact vs. fiction
As a microbiologist, Wormley said he has to suspend disbelief when watching sci-fi shows like “The Last of Us” that don’t always get the science right.
“If you try to watch for it to adhere to the rules (of science), you won’t enjoy it,” he said.
Still, he’s excited that the show has drawn attention to fungi and their impact.
“I think that people are now looking at fungal infections … in a new light,” he said, “and hopefully that will promote funding in the area of vaccines, antimicrobials and new research.”