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Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, commonly known as zombie-ant fungus, [2] is an insect-pathogenic fungus, discovered by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1859. Zombie ants, infected by the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis fungus, are predominantly found in tropical rainforests .
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The cordyceps "zombie fungus" in 'The Last of Us' is indeed inspired by a real fungi found in ants. But here's what that means for those of us not living in a video-game story.
According to the National Library of Medicine, Cordyceps is a composite of a fungus that grows on the larva of insects, basically taking over their bodies. But it can't jump to humans .
Ophiocordyceps is a genus of fungi within the family Ophiocordycipitaceae. [2] The widespread genus, first described scientifically by British mycologist Tom Petch in 1931, [3] contains about 140 species that grow on insects. [4]
Neuman suggests fungi are a grave threat given lack of preventative treatment or cure. Schoenheiss points out the impossibility of fungal infection in humans due to fungi's inability to survive body heat. Neuman agrees but notes fungi could evolve to overcome this weakness as the world gets warmer, at which point humanity would not survive.
In the dystopian world of the TV series, a heat-adapted version of the cordyceps fungus takes over humans, turning them into zombies. In reality, the caterpillar fungus may be capable of saving ...
The player can use firearms, improvised weapons, hand-to-hand combat, and stealth to defend against hostile humans and cannibalistic creatures infected by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus. For most of the game, the player takes control of Joel , a man tasked with escorting a young girl, Ellie , across the United States. [ 2 ]