That process has earned it the nickname “ zombie fungus." There, the ant hangs motionless until it dies and the fungus emits spores that rain down upon unsuspecting victims. Then, shortly before its demise, the ant will leave the colony at sunset, find a high-hanging leaf or branch, and clutch it in its jaws. In carpenter ants, the fungus snakes its way through the body, taking control of their muscles. But the version of cordyceps most of us are familiar with (perhaps thanks to Planet Earth fame) is Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, which specifically infects carpenter ants. In China, a variety called Ophiocordyceps sinensis, or caterpillar fungus, infects the body of ghost moth larvae and is considered a rare prize linked with sexual stamina. The fungi are not bent on infecting humans, but they can really do some damage on insects. In real life, Cordyceps is a genus of fungus that contains hundreds of species. But the fungus that inspired the game really exists - and it’s just as gnarly in real life. That’s because it is: Cordyceps Brain Infection (CBI) has overtaken the planet in The Last of Us (and The Last of Us Part 2). A fungus that slowly moves through the body with the goal of subjugating the brain sounds like something you might see in a video game.
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