A professor with more than 1,000 papers on the topic has shared concerning information.
A specialist cautioned that humanity could face a fungal apocalypse… and no, I'm not kidding.
It seems that we might face a potential threat similar to what you witness in the popular HBO show The Last of Us, featuring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.
Arturo Casadevall, a professor specializing in molecular microbiology, immunology, and infectious diseases, asserts that the situations depicted in drama series are not purely fictional.
Credit: HBO
The Last of Us portrays a post-apocalyptic world devastated by a massive fungal outbreak, showing how the remaining survivors struggle to stay alive.
When a person gets infected by the cordyceps fungi virus, they transform into creatures resembling zombies. Their bites or spores then infect other people, turning them into the same kind of creatures.
Professor Casadevall, 67, has researched the potential occurrence extensively, authoring more than 1,000 scientific papers on the topic, irrespective of the theory.
He mentioned at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, US, that fungi posed a significant danger to everyone.
In May 2024, he released a book titled ‘What If Fungi Win?' which explores the potential of a fungal-induced pandemic. Many of his discoveries were documented within its pages.
A fungi disease could be on the cards in our future, just like The Last of Us. (HBO)
During an interview with The Guardian this week, he discussed it further, mentioning that it was still a possibility. He clarified, “Currently, there is no known fungus that can transform a human into a zombie.”
The professor stated that it is highly probable that we will encounter harmful new fungal diseases in the future. In reality, we are already witnessing this occurrence.
It seems that climate change is the main factor behind this occurrence.
He explained that as temperatures rise, everything in our environment is being impacted. There is growing proof that specific fungi could release new diseases, causing harm to a larger number of humans in ways never seen before.
Professor Casadevall stated that in the event that fungi undergoes evolution and adjusts to elevated temperatures, it has the potential to evade our immune system, resulting in an increase in the occurrence of ‘fungi-related diseases'.
It seems that fungi are already mutating. In 2007, the fungus Candida auris was discovered in someone's ear in Japan. It has since spread to South America, Africa, and India.
Fungi is already evolving, according to the expert. (Getty Stock Photo)
The scientist mentioned that Candida auris was not discovered by medicine until 2007, when it was found in the ear of a person in Japan.
We are faced with a medical puzzle. There is an organism that the field of medicine had no knowledge of. One theory we have put forward is that this could be the initial fungus to surpass our heat defenses.
He pointed out that the majority of fungi cannot survive at the body's internal temperature of 37°C. However, some are adapting to this challenge, making it the ‘first example of a new fungal disease' – interesting.
He mentioned that while we have never experienced a ‘fungal pandemic', there have been instances where other species have, and it is possible that we could be affected in the future.
Amphibians are facing a severe decline due to a fungus that has spread across all continents. Considering that this fungus can harm amphibians, which have existed for millions of years and possess strong immune systems like humans, it would be arrogant to believe that a similar fate cannot befall us.
We lack awareness about the diseases and toxins that fungi can cause.
To get ready now, consider watching the post-apocalyptic HBO show and taking notes.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Photo / HBO
