Global warming can trigger the spread of a deadly fungus that impacts human health, with affected patients "33 per cent more likely to die." As temperatures rise, the fungus Aspergillus will find a wider environment where it can thrive. It can spread to "humans, livestock, and plants,” and cause severe infections that can prove fatal, according to a new study. 

Advertisment

The pre-print from the University of Manchester states that this fungus can grow “astonishingly quickly”. Lead author of the study, Dr. Norman van Rhijn, cited the hit TV show The Last of Us, which depicts an apocalypse caused by a fungus.

An analysis of the study carried out by Financial Times shows that the spread of Aspergillus flavus, a fungus that impacts crops, could increase by 16 per cent by 2100. Meanwhile, Aspergillus fumigatus, which affects people with asthma and other disorders, could spread by a whopping 77 per cent by 2100.

Also Read: ChatGPT users in a state of 'psychosis', believe 'cosmic' overlords are watching them: Report

Advertisment

Aspergillus fumigatus is "the leading cause of invasive mould infections in people", as per the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and causes aspergillosis. According to the CDC, the infection caused by Aspergillus fumigatus cannot be treated, and the risk of death is 33 per cent higher.

It is caused when someone breathes in the fungus spores. The fungus leads to a fatal lung disease, with symptoms ranging from headache and fatigue to coughing up blood. 

Elaine Bignell, co-director at the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, told FT that a hotter climate provides the perfect conditions for the fungus to grow “astonishingly quickly”. 

Advertisment

Rhijn sounded the alarm, saying that in the next 50 years, infections aren't going to be the same, and people will contract something that is "going to be completely different."

The Last Of Us and the Cordyceps infection

The Last Of Us, inspired by a popular video game, shows a pandemic caused by a mass fungal infection known as the Cordyceps infection. Those infected turn into zombies. It is set in a post-apocalyptic world where, 20 years later, the struggle for survival continues.