There’s a real killer fungus like in The Last of Us – here’s whether it will affect you

So, there’s a new fungus going around, similar to the disease in The Last of Us – and apparently it can be “fatal”.

Scientists at the University of Manchester are warning about the fungus thats known to grown “astonishingly quickly” – and that it’s expected to spread even quicker due to global warming.

It’s said to cause infections in humans and a load of other scary stuff, so I can kind of see why people are starting to worry about it.

So, what is this killer fungus likened to The Last of Us and how will it affect you?

via HBO

Compared to a disease in popular HBO show The Last of Us, a post-apocalyptic show centred around the effects of a mutant fungus, a new killer fungus is on the rise. Yikes.

Known as Aspergillus fungus, it’s said to cause lung infections in humans, and rising temperatures may increase the habitats where it can thrive. Researchers at the University of Manchester have released new information on the expected development, so we can all be well prepared for any coming apocalypse.

The strain can “cause severe infections in humans, livestock and plants” and the pathogens pose threats to health by disrupting food systems.

And luckily for us (not), a strain that affects crops could spread by 16 per cent in the next 80 years due to global warming. Worldwide temperature increases could fuel the growth of this fungus, due to its ability to grow “astonishingly quickly” in heat.

There’s even a separate strain, Aspergillus fumigatus, which causes infections predominantly in those with asthma and could spread by 77 per cent in the same timeframe. It’s also treatment resistant.

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But here’s the kicker – breathing in the spores of this fungus can cause Aspergillosis, a potentially fatal lung disease.

Should you be worried? 

We should definitely be worried about the effects of global warming, but as far as a worldwide pandemic caused by a fatal fungus, maybe not.

The fungus has the potential to cause an infection, marked by headaches, fatigue and coughing up blood. It can sometimes spread through the body, and those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to get really sick from it. Definitely unpleasant, yet not likely to cause an apocalypse.

The issues with the threat of spread come from its potential to “[disrupt] food systems.” Dr Norman van Rhijn, the lead author on the study at University of Manchester, told the Financial Times that: “We’re talking about hundreds of thousands of lives, and continental shifts in species distributions,”

“In 50 years, where things grow and what you get infected by is going to be completely different.”

The study into this fungus aims to “fill current research gaps” in order to combat the problem before it’s too late. So as far as The Last of Us is concerned, van Rhijn says that “reality is scary enough.”

Featured image via HBO and Wikimedia Commons