- In 2022, the WHO published the first list of fungi that threaten health and announced the priority fungal pathogens.
- The video game and television series “The Last of Us” depicts the fictional story of a post-apocalyptic world caused by the Cordyceps fungus.
- This parasite does exist in real life and is deadly, although it mainly infects insects such as ants.
The beginning of this 2023 has had several phenomena that have captured world attention. One of the greatest examples is the song by “Shakira” that generated a strong impact even beyond the music. While another case occurs with the television series “The Last of Us” because it has generated a discussion about whether a pandemic in real life by the Cordyceps fungus like the one that occurs on the screen would be possible.
The current Covid-19 pandemic remains active
To begin with, the current moment in which we are living has generated a greater sensitivity in people. The SARS Co-V virus It showed that something so small and insignificant can have big repercussions. In fact, microorganisms are the true beings to be afraid of.
At the beginning of 2020, it was believed that it was impossible for a disease that only affected China to spread to the rest of the world. As the weeks passed, the infections and deaths reached other Asian nations until finally causing global chaos.
According to the most recent count of the World Health Organization (WHO) have been registered 671 million cases and 6.83 million deaths from Covid-19 worldwide. Although the problem seems under control, it is still active and there is a risk that it will never go away as it has with HIV.
But now it is time to talk about another phenomenon that dominates the conversations and it is about “The Last of Us”. Every Sunday a new chapter is broadcast on HBO and is seen by millions of people around the world.
It’s official! THE LAST OF US will premiere on HBO Max on January 15, 2023. This is its poster: pic.twitter.com/iWzKWMvhyK
— The Horror Lover (@THorror_Lover_) November 2, 2022
Cordyceps, from fiction to reality
The story is an adaptation of the video game of the same name and shows the relationship between two survivors of a health emergency. According to the plot, a fungus called Cordyceps causes infected people to develop mutations and become aggressive.
Although it is a fictional story, it actually has many parts of reality because that fungus does exist. This parasite has been known for several decades and one of its characteristics is to seriously affect the nervous system until it causes the death of the host organism.
But now it is necessary to make an important clarification. The Cordyceps fungus only affects insects, especially ants, and its possible arrival in humans is impossible. The reason is because people have too high a body temperature to house this type of parasite.
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Mushrooms are more dangerous than many think
In any case, fungal pathogens should by no means be underestimated because there are other types that can cause serious damage in humans. In fact just a few months ago WHO presented the first list of its kind containing those that should be prioritized.
The WHO list of priority fungal pathogens is the first global effort to systematically prioritize fungi. Unmet research and development (R&D) needs and perceived importance to public health were taken into account.
In addition, it has been reported that some fungi such as Candida Auris have developed worrying drug resistance. For this reason, its treatment is becoming more and more complicated and with this the risk of mortality in patients increases.
Also read:
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WHO publishes the first list of fungi that threaten health: Know the priority fungal pathogens