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Could a real fungus really turn people into zombies, like in HBO’s blockbuster sci-fi show The Last Of Us? STACY LIBERATORE reveals the THREE things that should happen to make your worst nightmares come true
HBO’s The Last of Us reveals a world where a ‘zombie’ fungus has evolved to infect humans – but these terrifying organisms really do exist in nature.
The series follows Joel (Pedro Pascal) and teenage Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who fight to stay alive as they travel across the US overrun by fungus-infected people.
The fungus, called cordyceps, functions similarly in the real world, but only infects ants. The spores infiltrate the ant’s muscles and spread throughout its body, eventually taking over its brain. Once the cordyceps are in full control, it navigates the infected insect out of the nest to spread infected fungal spores among its fellow ants.
While The Last of Us is science fiction, mold specialists told DailyMail.com that cordyceps are just three steps away from putting humans in a zombie-like state.
These steps include changes in our body temperature, structure and immune system.
The specialists said that while these hurdles are significant, they are not completely impossible to overcome.
In a new video, DailyMail.com explains the three steps the fungus takes to turn us into zombies.