‘The Last of Us’ zombie fungus is real, and it’s found in health supplements

1/15/23
 
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from The Washington Post,
1/15/23:

The zombie apocalypse depicted in the popular video game series and newly adapted HBO series “The Last of Us” derives from a mutation to a type of fungus called cordyceps. Surprise! Cordyceps is real, and some 600 variations of it can be found around the world, primarily in Southeast Asia.
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Surprise again! Cordyceps does induce zombielike symptoms in insects, a phenomenon that inspired “The Last of Us” creator Neil Druckmann to include it as the source of his story’s zombie outbreak.

Surprise a third time! Cordyceps has long been studied by the scientific community and these days can be found in a number of health supplements.

This should probably come as no surprise, though: Unlike in the games and show, cordyceps, as we currently know it, will not turn you into a zombie. But here’s what you should know about “The Last of Us” and its depiction of the zombie fungus.

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