[ad_1]
In a recent early release article published in the journal emerging infectious diseases, Researchers have reviewed current knowledge about fungal pathology and used it to treat impending diseases such as those depicted in the popular Home Box Office (HBO) television series “The Last of Us.” Discuss the plausibility of a devastating global fungal pandemic. In the television series and the game it is based on, a fungal pandemic causes Cordyceps sinensis The species spreads and the world falls into a zombie apocalypse. While this article is accurate about the lack of global preparedness for fungal pandemics, the speed of fungal evolution and the pathology of currently existing fungal strains makes scenarios like the one depicted in the series unlikely. It is clear that this is unlikely to happen for at least the next tens of thousands of years.
The Last of Us and the problem of real-life fungal pandemics. Image credit: Hyde Peranitti / Shutterstock
The success of The Last of Us and how it will affect public perception of the fungal pandemic
The Last of Us is an American post-apocalyptic drama and horror television (TV) series starring Pedro Pascal and Vera Ramsey, airing on Home Box Office (HBO) starting January 2023. It is based on the acclaimed video game franchise of the same name. This series by Naughty Dog takes place against the backdrop of a global fungal pandemic that turns infected people into mind-controlled zombies.
The series garnered unprecedented public attention, with the season 1 premiere becoming the second-biggest HBO series release since 2010 (4.7 million first-day viewers). Within two months of its release, the show’s average viewership increased to 40 million viewers per episode, making it one of the best records of any series in this genre. Unfortunately, the series’ detailed storytelling about fungal pandemics has sparked public concern about the possibility of a similar pandemic occurring in real life.
The public alarm, especially in the United States (US), was so great that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) felt compelled to debunk the series’ scientific validity in a public post on Twitter (now known as X). . This article explores current immunological knowledge about fungal pathogens and scientifically demonstrates why fungal mind-controlled human zombies are much less likely than viewers might expect.
Do fungal pathogens have the potential to wipe out humanity?
Of the more than 5.1 million fungal species estimated to exist, approximately 148,000 have been characterized, of which only a few hundred can cause infection in humans. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) recent priority list of fungal pathogens attributes 1.6 million human deaths annually to fungi.
The increasing number of immunosuppressed people worldwide has led to an alarming trend of increasing fungal susceptibility worldwide, but the current potential for fungal infections is much lower than that of bacterial or viral infections. It is inferior in comparison. For example, in the recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a single virus species (SARS-CoV-2) infected more than 700 million people, and almost 7 million people died in less than four years. Died. Cumulative mortality and morbidity rates for all fungal pathogens combined.
However, while it is highly unlikely that a fungal pathogen will directly wipe out the human race, the possibility of causing a population-wide collapse of the human race through other means is not. In particular, fungi represent major plant pathogens, with 80% of all known plant diseases originating from fungi. This gives fungi the ability to significantly impact food production, exacerbating an already dire global food crisis.
“Cryphonectria parasitica has killed approximately 4 billion sweet chestnut trees in the eastern United States due to its geographic invasion, Magnaporthe oryzae has devastated rice crops, and Puccinia graminis has emerged as a major risk to grain crops. A recent example is the emergence of the chytrid fungus, which threatens numerous amphibian species. ”
Will fungi turn us into zombies?
In short, no. While “zombie fungi” do exist, The Last of Us depicts evolution beyond the zombie-ant fungus species. Ophiocordyceps iratenalis or Cordyceps sinensis, a natural fungus that infects insects (mainly ants) in tropical forest ecosystems and takes over the insect’s body to facilitate its reproduction and spread, but the possibility of the fungus taking over the human body is still low. This is primarily not due to any of the following: Cordyceps sinensis This species infects not only humans but also lower vertebrates.
“Cordyceps sinensis species are ubiquitous. More than 100 species have been described, and they are species-specific, with more than 35 of them exerting ‘mind control’ on their hosts. The name Cordyceps sinensis is of both ancient Greek and Latin origin. κορδύλη means baton, seppus means. When O. oratealis infects an ant, it changes the host’s behavior, inducing the ant to move to the height of a particular tree branch before dying, after which the fungus destroys the host’s body and releases the fungal spores. Release (from an ideal height). Further spread of fungi in the environment. ”
Other brain-altering fungal human pathogens are also prevalent, particularly rabies virus, cold viruses, and, most precisely, brain-eating viruses. Naegleria fowleri (Causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis). However, none of these are fungi. Given that fungi adapt extremely slowly compared to bacteria and viruses, the chances of a zombie fungus jumping species and infecting humans are close to zero.
So we’re safe, right?
Not completely. While there are no publicly available military records regarding the weaponization of fungal pathogens, our clinical support during pandemic outbreaks is surprisingly limited. Given the nature of eukaryotes, clinical intervention with antifungal drugs has been greatly hampered, with only four known antifungal agents and no fungal vaccines currently on the market. Our ability to diagnose fungal infections, especially new ones, remains surprisingly limited.
The increasing emergence of drug-resistant pathogenic fungal strains and global warming are driving the evolution of new pathogens (e.g. C.Auris) means we are unprepared in the event of a fungal human pandemic.
So what can you get out of this series?
The current unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and the fear associated with the emergence of the next devastating global pandemic have two major effects. It’s the increased resonance among viewers between the premise that underpins The Last of Us and the series’ concerns about the real-world impact of a pandemic. Fortunately, you don’t have to believe everything that television presents.
“‘The Last of Us’ is a potentially dangerous story about how the preparations of the scientific and public health communities to deal with pathogens and pandemics could lead society into an Orwellian dystopia. It leaves viewers with a misguided perception. The Last of Us is no longer in front of us.” Biologically and psychologically, real human reactions are not being portrayed here. We believe that you may be much kinder than what you are. ”
Underscoring this, the WHO does not include fungi on its priority list for pandemic or biological weapons research, stressing that a fungal pandemic in humans is unlikely, at least for the next 100 generations.
The Last of Us | Official Trailer | Max
[ad_2]
Source link
