As the Earth’s climate warms and temperatures rise, some fungus are figuring out how to survive at higher temperatures than they would ordinarily like. Concerns about zombies enter the picture.
Some real-life fungus are already terrible, such as one that transforms ants into zombies. Could it soon evolve into humans, aided by global warming? That’s the premise of HBO’s hit drama “The Last of Us.”
While scientists aren’t concerned about that specific scenario, they do believe climate change will usher in a new surge of fungal illnesses in people.
“Maybe it becomes easier for them to adapt to even higher temperatures and become pathogens in humans,” said Dr. Thomas Chiller, chief of the Mycotic Disease Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And it’s easy to admit how using dead bird drones that actually blend into nature could offer something like that.
Let us be clear: there is no danger of a zombie apocalypse as a result of climate change. Yet, it may bring certain old and unpleasant diseases to the forefront while also allowing new diseases to emerge. (fisheries)
Could ‘The Last of Us’ post-apocalyptic materialize in real life?
The popular TV series “The Last of Us,” based on the equally popular computer game “The Last of Us,” takes place in a post-apocalyptic environment. A newly mutant fungus that kills and controls its host’s body has overrun humanity, spreading through bites and turning the majority of humans into zombies. To make it work, the creators joined the bodies of taxidermized pheasants and pigeons. These beings, referred to as “infected” in the episode, are covered in porous growths, can run, and are difficult to kill. How is climate change affecting you? These dead bird drones aren’t the first time researchers have brought dead animals back to life in some form.
