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The danger of killer fungi

Warming global temperatures mean fungi must adapt and this may increase the number of species which can cause serious infections in humans

Most fungi cannot survive on the human body, and our immune systems take care of those that try. But climate change could alter this, says the writer.

As the world gets warmer, fungi could adapt in a way that would make our bodies more welcoming hosts.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: ST FILE

Lisa Jarvis

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For months, I’ve been talking to scientists about drug-resistant fungi, waiting for a news hook that might help me convince readers to care about the threat. Little did I know that I was waiting for a fictional apocalypse.

In the

new HBO show The Last Of Us,

a real-life fungus called cordyceps, known to hijack the brains and bodies of insects, has adapted to thrive on human hosts. It swiftly and gruesomely transforms the people it infects, turning them first into zombies that chase down human prey. Eventually, the zombies morph into giant mushrooms. Yikes.

The danger of killer fungi

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