Fears LA wildfires could spread deadly fungi – would it be like The Last of Us?
Fears LA wildfires could spread deadly fungi – would it be like The Last of Us?
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As the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles’ history continue to raze California, there’s a chance something else could be spreading without anyone realising it. Fungus spores. In HBO’s post-apocalyptic zombie thriller The Last of Us, a mutated version of a real-world fungus has infected humans and turned them into zombielike beings covered in mushrooms.
![[LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 9: A view of flames at the mountain as seen from Topanga Canyon near Pacific Palisades in Topanga, Los Angeles, California, United States on January 9, 2025. A fast-moving wildfire has forced 180,000 people to evacuate, with officials warning that worsening winds could further escalate the blaze. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_235528418-d0d1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Follow our live blog for the latest updates on the LA wildfires. Don’t worry, there’s next to no chance of this ever happening, scientists have stressed. Any mind-bending effects from fungi tend to wear off after the spores leave our digestive tracks, while human-to-human transmission is rare.
![[CALIFORNIA, USA - JANUARY 10: A view of wild fire as firefighting planes and helicopters drop water over flames in Mandeville Canyon during 'Palisades Fire' in Los Angeles, California, United States on January 10, 2025. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_235613194-f48a.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
But that doesn’t mean that fungi don’t pose a risk to humanity, especially as climate change makes a fungal pandemic more likely. Dr Martin Hoenigl, an expert on fungal pathogens from the Medical University of Graz, said that disasters like the LA wildfires could lead to fungal infections spreading.
![[California wildfires could make 'The Last of Us' a reality]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_235624558-92c2.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
‘Humans have adapted to the increasing number of disasters, so the number of human fatalities has remained stable over the last few decades despite higher frequency of natural disasters,’ he told MailOnline. ‘However, these disasters can, in the short and in the long term facilitate fungal diseases by spreading fungal pathogens with wind or wildfire smoke.’.
