Scientists Warn of Fatal Fungus Similar to ‘The Last of Us’ Disease

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Researchers at the University of Manchester are sounding the alarm after analyzing the growth patterns of Aspergillus fumigatus, a mold that thrives in warm, humid environments. Their findings suggest that rising temperatures due to climate change could expand the fungus’s habitat by 77% by 2100.For fans of The Last of Us, this hits a little too close to home.“Aspergillus species cause severe infections in humans, livestock, and plants,” Dr. Norman van Rhijn, lead author of the preprint study, told Sky News. “In 50 years, where things grow and what you get infected by is going to be completely different.”Aspergillus fumigatus is already deadly—particularly for those with asthma, immune disorders, or lung issues. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists it as the leading cause of invasive mold infections in people. It’s also resistant to many treatments, with a mortality rate as high as 33%.Related: Video Shows Man Narrowly Escaping Polar Bear AttackAnd the fungus isn’t just dangerous—it’s aggressive. It grows, according to experts, “astonishingly quickly” in heat. That means as climate change fuels hotter, wetter conditions, the risk of widespread outbreaks increases dramatically.“Fungal pathogens pose a serious threat to human health by causing infections and disrupting food systems,” said Viv Goosens, research manager at the Wellcome Trust, which funded the study. “Climate change will make these risks worse.”Related: Your Favorite Convenience Foods Might Be Killing You, Study WarnsThe threat goes beyond people. Crops are also at risk, with researchers predicting that Aspergillus flavus, another deadly strain, could expand by 16% globally.As for the comparisons to HBO’s The Last of Us? Van Rhijn addressed that too: “Reality is already scary enough.”Symptoms of aspergillosis include fatigue, chest pain, coughing up blood, and in serious cases, the infection can spread beyond the lungs. Fiction may have warned us. But the science is catching up—and the danger is real.