The Last of Us: Could it happen? Infectious disease doctor explains cordyceps.

HBO's "The Last of Us" shows a world devastated by a fungal pandemic. But could that really happen? Dr. George Thompson, professor of infectious diseases at UC Davis School of Medicine, explains fungal infections, cordyceps and the science behind the hit show.
Learn more about the science behind "The Last of Us" - • Cordyceps, Zombies and...
Show images provided by Warner Media/HBO.
#thelastofus #cordyceps #shorts

[@mrree9099]

The doctor was infected.

[@mushroomsrcool1449]

Wait till a giant mushroom sprouts from his head and spreads spores. XD

[@agustdofficial8945]

Yeah this doctor forget how much virus are mutated from infecting animal to infecting human.

[@nurfaikhamhaiqal2528]

so it spread wrong fact, that fungus become so inteligent when inviding us

[@khasidailyfact6371]

😂😂😂

[@khasidailyfact6371]

​@@mushroomsrcool1449 his feet already have sprout mushrooms I heard rumors.

[@righteous073key3]

Key word "don't think so "

[@Ec8625ec]

“words”

[@friendlyfire7509]

Funny how he doesn't go into detail.

[@khasidailyfact6371]

​@@friendlyfire7509 it's 30secs video bro and also the narrator already took like a quarter of that.

[@LawAbidingCitizen117]

It may be impossible in nature, but in the hands of some military scientists it could be a different story.

[@papahairy5315]

No point weaponising a fucking fungus when rabies and other diseases are much more useful, internet brainrot

[@kf338]

Maybe a Chinese American backed lab 🤔

[@TheWebsOfCorruptionNeverFail]

Give me a Criper Kit, some shrooms and 6 months to play around with....

[@stevensteven3417]

"accidents" can happen and will happen.

[@MastaFista]

sounds like the corona virus from a certain communist country

[@prussianeagle1941]

In the first episode of The Last of Us, the scientist explains that the fungi evolve to meet their environments challenges. Whilst cordyceps may currently not be able to infect mammals (aka organisms with body heat at or exceeding 94 F), all it takes is for the earth to become warmer, and the fungi evolve to meet the living standards if said environment. It's truely terrifying.

[@bigperm079]

Facts

[@captross07]

From what I understand, that kind of evolution/adaptation in fungi would take millions of years. Fungus are multicellular lifeforms. They take a loooong time to change. At least, I hope that’s the case…

[@bigperm079]

@@captross07 🤞

[@sirgaffo]

Dude your literally trying to prove your point over a tv show against a real scientist😂 Evolution does not just magically happen over night humans have a much more strong immune system then ants and other insects…

[@prussianeagle1941]

@@captross07 Skin darkening in Homo Sapiens only takes a day or two, and that's also considered evolution by modern scientists. Evolution happens at its own speeds

[@EtanisKewl]

Key words “I don’t think so”

[@mindingmybusiness6309]

💡💡💡

[@rzwitdauncut]

it won’t happen. main reason is because the elites that run this world have WAY to much to lose. way to much. think about how bad society would collapse if this happened. they would lose everything they ever stole and built lol

[@Derulais]

Literally everything I find says nah probably not. I want a fucking NO

[@Aznisthesame]

When he says “I don’t think it..” me: you mean you don’t know for certain

[@Paradoxical_heuer]

scientists are usually skeptical af

[@cholosoy8511]

That’s what the other doctor said on the show, and look what happens 😮

[@thelordrico8109]

Impossible rn yes but as every year the earth gets warmer the fungus can adapt to more heat so meaning it can be a possibility but way way after we are dead like in 10-100,000 years depending on how much the earth heats up every year

[@Daniscoll]

when the tier 1 weapon has better passive than a tier 5

[@lawrencejohnson3259]

Wouldn't the human immune system attack foreign bodies like this? I wonder how they get around this in the TV show?

[@Nartymer]

you could ask the same thing for other parasites. They evolve. The game/tv show isn't that far from reality, the most unrealistic thing in it is the time it takes for the mushroom to mutate (such a scenario will be seen in real life in at least a few millions of years)

[@GDPepiman]

​@@Nartymer Yea but the immune system we have also evolves with diseases as shown with many diseases. Our immune system will forever evolve with time as well

[@Nartymer]

​@@GDPepiman From what I've found, brain diseases like rabies have 100% lethality rate so I'm guessing our immune system simply wouldn't be effective enough until the fungus would have already taken over our brain. It was actually talked about in the game/tv show that the mushroom can take from half a day to about 3 until the bitten victim would become a zombie, so it would make a difference.

[@TheEnginator]

Yeah, ask that my toe nail, which has been infected for a decade and there is literally no cure except for pulling it out completely.

[@ethangabriellesuba84]

Although cordyceps does not infect humans, it does infect a wide range of insects. Scene from "The Last of Us." In ants, cordyceps slowly infects its victims by mind-controlling the host to migrate to a humid climate where the conditions are perfect for its growth.Feb 5, 2023

[@Velaquino_22]

What happens when the earth got slightly warmer then?

[@UCDavisHealth]

Dr. Thompson discusses this here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqWllGqbeZx7ipI

[@imfinallyhappy]

It doesn't matter if earth gets warmer, our immune system is stronger than an ant and cordyseps can't infect humans in it's current stage, for it to be able to infect us it would take millions of years of evolution.

[@Kilo416]

Now there is reason to evolve

[@dmp762]

Even if it did evolve to survive higher temperatures, it still wouldn't be able to overcome the complex human immune system.

[@felixbenitez6169]

Also even if a Fungus "Evolved" it would not causes a Outbreak. We not see a Fungus causing a Outbreak through Insects like Ants Colony.

[@_Farhan.]

Well you know every doc say this before zombie outbreak in movies and series ☠

[@untried_ice91]

Notice how bro said "i dont think so"😂😂

[@kevinbaboolal4225]

Not a risk for us THAT ONE GUY GROWING CORDYCEPS FROM HIS OWN BLOOD

[@robensmonteau161]

I beg your pardon?

[@agrajyadav2951]

We'll see about that

[@kram8224]

uhoh

[@sibratodas9890]

Who knows may be doctor is infected 😮😮

[@Jankibuilders]

THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID FOR COVID

[@ytpete2]

Quite the opposite! A lot of infectious disease experts actually used to use the Coronavirus family (which also includes SARS) as a prime example of viruses that posed a risk of mutating and causing a major pandemic.

[@Anon26535]

I think it would have been more realistic if it was a genetically egineered fungus that got out of control. We know cordyceps has been around since the time of the dinosaurs, so if it could naturally evolve to infect vertebrates it would have by now. Maybe it was created to cleanse microplastics from the environment but the scientists underestimated how saturated peoples' bodies are with them in modern times. Kind of like the radiotrophic fungi in Nausicaa.

[@Nartymer]

i think it would be way too cliche for a genetically altered disease to get out of control (for the video game industry at least) But as a real life scenario yeah, way more likely.

[@ashwinkm5923]

It's fun concept till first infected human 😂

[@Kilo416]

Ironically he basically repeated the exact same rebuttal from the other doctor/scientist at the beginning of episode 1: "Fungal infections of this kind are real, but not in humans" not saying it makes it possible but they pointed out the same thing in the show

[@blacknoir606]

Unfortunately chemical engineering makes it a very real possibility

[@TheChild.]

​@blacknoir606 Yeah, they can modify it to way more deadlier and dangerous than shown in the last of us.

[@JohnSmith-ip6kc]

That’s WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO THINK!!!

[@Rutisija]

Toe fungus iniates this soon

[@DasalezTV]

I feel like the Russian government or Chinese government could actually make tiny ecosystems that are slightly warmer and run trials for the fungus to adapt over the next 10 decades and eventually they’ll succeed and then fuck around and release it on the US, or mess up and release it on themselves. That would be quite the show on HBO🤣

[@peachydoll5819]

That’s what they said in the game and show.

[@AmanSharma-bx6el]

Everything that has happened was first "Impossible".

[@sheilamorales9536]

All right so I'm just going to come out and say this. What if it mutates or evolves to go on to mammals cuz I heard one time that a primate had it

[@capik3150]

“What if The world become slightly warmer?”

[@UCDavisHealth]

Dr. Thompson addresses climate change here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqWllGqbeZx7ipI

[@nivkys]

If the world got hotter it could potentially happen

[@blacknoir606]

Or if Russia engineered it 😊

[@silentdep403]

The doctor sounds like he was to be in a recital for only two minutes

[@Sengwon4]

idk i think it could happen even scientists mess around with some mushrooms a bit

[@AntitheistHuman]

Not yet 🙄

[@raynepanda]

Infectious disease Doctor is asked about the possibility of a Human Fungal pandemic without actually addressing the hypothetical. That being, "If cordyceps actually can infect humans, what are the odds of a pandemic?" Instead of addressing this, he instead says it's simply not possible to be infected to begin with.

[@Yusuq_Madeek]

Yeah but my understanding fungus can't survive in humans due to body temperature but due to global warming it's been adapting and i believe we saw a few cases for the first time in the U.S. recently. He says he doesn't think so but they don't know for sure and these things always adapt just like the plague.

[@kingmoank]

Amazing show, 👏 best live action show

[@dumpsterfire295]

That's what they said about flu that mutated to covid

[@Igrabbedcactus]

Doctor had some cia cover up script. Talking bout how fun it is

[@crashalmahdi512]

Nature... Is crazy.. Never say Never

[@azraelwolfsblood2902]

Failed to give a reason why it won’t effect us so I’m gonna assume he’s being held at gunpoint

[@Williamkwojej]

can i do something to make it mutate ?

[@nothanks5520]

I take these every day and I can confirm I'm a zombie now and crave human flesh lol

[@fsgidroiidzz8861]

The world is getting warmer and fugues. Ever does

[@M82Predator]

What if someone is severely immune compromised. Trapped in a room full of spores?

[@amirhoseinhemmaty5112]

its not based on the immune system, the fungi simply can't survive in high temperatures.

[@Sweetlordhelpme]

But the world will soon get warmer and warmer and the cordyceps cant do anything but to evolve. Thats when we all lose

[@aRookieGod]

There’s a few factors preventing that but I do indeed see how this could happen and it would be catastrophic since we humans are with so many on earth

[@blacknoir606]

@@aRookieGodAll it would take is for somewhere like Russia to decide chemically engineering this into reality would be a good idea.

[@hritikjain7404]

Rabies is the nearest to zombie like disease that happens to human

[@Robloxgirlunicorn6187]

it's scary I'm not having it my new pet

[@fo6203]

I don't think so meaning yes.

[@imtiyazali6248]

Human have idea to make it bigger to infect bigger animals humans

[@rodneyadderton1077]

That's not the right response doc. You are supposed to keep us living in fear.

[@jdstin1060]

Oh thank god... hopefuly

[@elizabethtyler1746]

Have you heard of Gain of Function? Eh hum Covid?

[@Semicile17]

What if that were to change?

[@StopListenThink]

Pass on bugs no thank you tyson foods passssss

[@tarikcohen7708]

THEY DONT KNOW FOR REAL

[@James-og6cx]

It already does happen to ants in the rainforest.

[@fire_hawk8320]

The chances are low but never zero

[@ripinefable]

It’s 100 percent possible probably not in our life time but things like climate change will accelerate it’s mutation

[@adamxhanley]

I'd feel a lot better knowing WHY it isn't a threat to humans...

[@blacknoir606]

Homeboy forgot to mention that chemical engineering exists and now DNA altering tech too.

[@RealSehelinda]

"I don't think so"

[@ZLink2013]

Plot twist it evolved to infect more superior beings

[@Majiins]

In nature it is impossible But for humans making it for weapon use, its very very VERY POSSIBLE

[@smilingstan]

if it mutates to live to extreme temps then we are all dead duh thats the lore you didint even get that bit

[@Metaverseedits]

Yes it does not affect human Yet💀

[@JoJo_Kitten]

Stop scaring kids

[@-21ram-77]

@@JoJo_Kitten It will evolve to adapt in our body soon

[@rzwitdauncut]

Exactly. Like all his doing is saying the right things so nobody panics. Meanwhile its a whole outbreak in the lab people are trying to control😅🤣🤣

[@god-of-war-fan]

@@-21ram-77 no you idiot, it takes thousands of years to evolve

[@god-of-war-fan]

@@rzwitdauncut you realise that's for bacteria and prokaryotes right, not fungi😂how ignorant are you

[@johannes7259]

When someone says " I don't think so" means they don't it. Doesn't matter if they're some great scientists and doctors. Who knows 🤔 what if that were to change? Rabies can infect humans from dog 🤷

[@Im_a_jinx-4]

It already a game 😭😭 Though I had a million dollar idea here

[@blacknoir606]

The fact you didn’t know what the last of us was just tells me the kind of gamer you are. Especially with the jixn account. XD

[@user-fh9jn4tz6w]

Yeah they didn’t think they were at risk for it either until it happened 🙄

[@KIRB881]

If it becames a thing id be long dead by then 😂

[@TKOfromJohn]

Its not "HBO's" its Naughty Dog and it was originally a video game thats much better than the crapfest of that show

[@ryantogo8359]

Said the smoothbrain who's never watched the show

[@sayaljoshi4331]

Unless

[@justsomeslimewithoutalife8500]

Well yeah no duh it's not a risk to human right now, but the real question is...will it?

[@truleaderjay2212]

Well you just ruined my day

[@Wolfie7720]

Well.... If Ophiocordyceps evolved and somehow cross-breeded with the rabies infection, it may happen. 1. Rabies has all the qualities as "zombies" on sci-fi movies/series. Excess salivation, myscle spasms, mental confusion, etc. Are all symptoms of rabies... and zombies. It also spreads through bites. The only difference is that rabies kills it's host after a while. The zombie virus continues to thrive in its host until killed by an outside threat. 2. Ophiocordyceps is basically the zombie virus excpet for a couple qualities as well. The main one is that it only infects ants. It takes control of the hosts brain and focuses on spreading the fungi to many different hosts. 3. If these two infections happen to naturally combine, it could possibly lead to the end of the world if the right qualities are combined. If my scientific evidence is correct, then i proved this man wrong. Although, this is only a possibility if rabies and ophiocordyceps are mixed together.

[@user-xt9nz4xx1f]

People like him keeps forgetting about Global Warming

[@rokzz8391]

What if it evolves

[@god-of-war-fan]

are you really silly enough to think it's just going to magically evolve over the course of like 2 days or something 🤣fungi take thousands of years to evolve

[@mindingmybusiness6309]

Lol

[@rokzz8391]

@@god-of-war-fan just I'm thinking if there is a chance

[@god-of-war-fan]

@@rokzz8391 meh no need to worry nothing will happen

[@Revolutionary_Fish]

​​@@god-of-war-fanDon't forget humans also evolve over times😂

[@georgeadusei1003]

Naturally maybe, but watch some smart dude poke around with it and then come talk to me.

[@ModernJooby363]

Try Eating it

[@MinkyTwats]

you'd be suprise some ppl actually do Eat and Cook the Cordyceps

[@sililife2928]

yeah same thing they say to corona virus..it will be difficult for the corona virus to jump from animals to humans and yet it happened

[@aRookieGod]

That’s true I feel like all it takes is earth to warm 1/2° then a few months and voila they’re adapted to warmth then they’ll enter our body and die untill one of them figures out how to take us over

[@ytpete2]

They didn't say that. The coronavirus family caused SARS and MERS and is also includes some of the viruses responsible for the common cold. It has been known to be potent in humans since like the 60s.

[@TheGuyFromHungary7]

Nice arguement, unfortiunatly Nuh uh. If global warming heats up the earth that thing might evolve and start infecting humans.

[@brayanvazquez9136]

Yet.

[@pennyomega7421]

By the time it possibly does evolve to infect humans, you will have great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great,great,great,great grandchildren. Hell the human race may not exist by then already

[@anotherpersonfromnorfolk1587]

But... why? Why isn't it a risk to us, you never said that...

[@amirhoseinhemmaty5112]

apparently its not But will it stay the same? 💀

[@blacknoir606]

Mostly because the species leap from insects to humans is such a big one. But all it would take is one person with bad intentions to make it a reality.

[@WheetheWhiteOfficial]

What if it mutates and can infect humans, does it start a fungus zombie apocalypse?

[@user-qe1ye3fb5p]

Today just now a human infected with cordyceps is found in Kolkata, India

[@WheetheWhiteOfficial]

​@@user-qe1ye3fb5p that's scary, it will end the population

[@god-of-war-fan]

@@user-qe1ye3fb5p that wasn't cordyceps you liar

[@user-qe1ye3fb5p]

@@god-of-war-fan well I can be false but pls don't call me a liar. This makes u bad by judging others by seeing their one act

[@agnusdeiquitollispecatamundi]

​@@user-qe1ye3fb5pyou are in effect a liar because that's fake news

[@vldz6446]

Just give us an apocalypse already

[@blacknoir606]

You down to scavenge together?

[@ssimpson3288]

Spoiler Alert: Real life is boring.

[@paulcashin50]

A pitiful blow-off.Whilst we have developed defenses against fungal infection;our biology has NOT intergrated with them unlike with viral infection.

[@ElCid1043]

he may be lying to not cause a panic, im prepping myself like Bill idc and im not takin in any survivors as my post-apocalyptic lover either

[@god-of-war-fan]

omg stfu 'lying to not cause a panic' you fool, scientists are literally the first people to be alarmed and raise a hue and cry

[@rzwitdauncut]

no for real😂 bro i still need to finish the last of us those episodes be long as hell. i cant wait imma wait till the weekend. me and you had the same idea man. bill and the video game was the smartest character ever. still to this day he probably is still in that neighborhood.

[@NovaPlays12]

Does it annoy anyone else as he mentions the show and not the game?

[@MyEverydayLife91]

"But what if the world will get warmer" 🥹

[@a1phamalestud]

This guy is the reason why 9 out of 10 doctors recommend