Can Cordyceps Fungus from ‘The Last of Us’ Infect Humans in Real-Life? All about the Zombie Infection

If you are wondering whether the Last of Us Cordyceps fungus is real, you are not alone. Not to frighten you, but there really is such a thing as a zombie fungus. The fungus with orange tendrils, known as Cordyceps, can infect and take over the bodies of various insects, including ants, spiders, and millipedes, effectively transforming them into mindless zombies.

The same, however, cannot be said for humans (thankfully), and it is highly unlikely to trigger a global zombie apocalypse. Hit HBO show Last of Us has catapulted the fungus to fame.

The Last of Us show is loosely based on a video game, and in it, a strain of fungus called Cordyceps has developed the ability to infect humans, take over their brains, and turn them into mindless monsters. Read all about it below.

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The Last of Us Fungus in Real Life

Numerous species of Cordyceps fungi exist, but the story of The Last of Us is based on Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. Neil Druckmann, the game's writer and co-creator of the HBO show, first saw the fungus in a 2008 Planet Earth clip showing an ant colony being slowly consumed and controlled by insatiable blooms that rain spores onto the colony. Druckmann included this fungus variant, which transforms insects into humans through infected crops in the game and the show.

The fungus feasts on arthropods like spiders, ants, and millipedes (Image via Flickr)

The spawning and development of the fungus is spectacular, if not a little frightening. Spores of the fungus Cordyceps attach to the exoskeletons of arthropods like ants, millipedes, and spiders, and then send out mycelia that invade every part of the host.

Parasitic fungi take over the infected insect, turning it into a mobile host that must climb up a nearby plant or tree and clamp onto its surface for survival. The fungus consumes its host and then grows outside of its body, where it once again disperses its spores.

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Can the Cordyceps Fungus Infect Humans in Real Life?

Nope. The ability of this fungus to infect and kill insects that live in the soil makes it a useful pesticide. Rebecca Rosengaus, an associate professor and behavioral ecologist at Northeastern University, told BuzzFeed News that the virus cannot currently survive inside the much hotter temperatures within the human body.

According to BuzzFeed, Rosengaus said she would not rule out the possibility of the fungus evolving. Although no known pathogen has yet developed a method to take control of human thought processes in this way, that doesn't mean it can't happen in the future. In other words, moving along, there's nothing interesting here.

This fungus in its current form cannot attack and take over human bodies as shown in the series The Last of Us (Image via Flickr @Renee Lebeuf)

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What Happens if You Eat Cordyceps?

This fungus has been used for thousands of years as a tonic food and herbal medicine in East Asian cultures due to its purported ability to increase energy, strengthen the immune system, and reduce inflammation.

Cordyceps has recently been marketed to health nuts who are hoping to experience the fungus' purported benefits. The powdered form is the most common, but you can also find this as an essentially flavorless supplement in beverages like coffee and chocolate.

Due to the current Cordyceps renaissance, the once-insignificant fungus now commands high prices. To find this particular fungus, harvesters must manually scour the jungle for dead worms and other insects. The real fungus (not one of the many counterfeits on the market) reportedly fetched $63,000 per pound in 2017.

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Can you Grow The Fungus at Home?

In the United States, developing standardized methods of cultivating the fungus is still in its infancy. The fungus cannot be cultivated commercially like shiitake mushrooms or oysters due to the high cost of labor and the current labor-intensive methods. Home growers and commercial growers with access to a lucrative market can successfully cultivate the fungus.