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5 Fungal Infections That Will Make You Fear Clickers More Than The Last of Us
HBO’s ‘The Last Of Us’ has proven that we need more stories of fungus-ridden zombies
Did you get spooked watching The Walking Dead or The Last of Us? Did you feel for the humans? Well, now we can all move on from our zombie and cordyceps mania and talk more about some of the most interesting parasites out there.
Heed this warning: Nature holds some truly gruesome creatures if you choose to continue reading.
Have you heard about the parasitic hairworm (Spinochordodes tellinii) that develops inside land-dwelling grasshoppers and brainwashes them to commit suicide by throwing themselves into the water?
Listen closely, as it gets even more bizarre when we examine the microscopic realm.
In the TV series The Last of Us, the Cordyceps fungus turned humans into zombies.
Believe it or not, a real-life version of this fictional scenario exists today. This fungus is called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, commonly known as the ant zombie fungus.
What if I told you that there is a fungus that causes ants to clamp their own jaws on a leaf or branch, remaining there until it dies.
The ant remains fixed in place and the fungus continues to grow inside, using the corpse as a source of sustenance.
A couple of weeks after the ant’s death, stems of the fungus errupt from the ant’s body eventually releasing its spores into the surroundings. These can infect new ants, restarting the life cycle of the fungus.
There’s fungus among us
Fungal infections can be caused by a wide range of microscopic organisms.
Normally, your immune system will prevent these organisms from growing out of control, but if your immune system is weakened in any way, they can take advantage of the situation and spread rapidly.
Fungal infections can appear on any part of your body, but they’re most commonly found in areas with high levels of moisture, such as your scalp, groin, and feet.
