The plot of "The Last of Us" becomes reality. A deadly fungus is spreading across the US

 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an alert about a potentially deadly fungus that is circulating in US hospitals and nursing homes. This fungus, called Candida auris, is resistant to most antifungal medications and can cause serious infections in people with weakened immune systems. According to the CDC, more than 1,000 cases of Candida auris have been reported in 12 states since 2019, nearly half of which have resulted in death.

This scenario may sound familiar to fans of The Last of Us. The game takes place in the year 2033, twenty years after a fungal pandemic caused by Cordyceps, a type of parasitic fungus that infects insects and manipulates their behavior to spread spores.

And it so happened that the plot of the series began to take root in life. There, the story begins with a fungal infection that has hit the world, which is quite strange - usually all plots around zombies revolve around a virus. And now the CDC is writing about some fungus that kills one in three people. At the same time, it is still unknown what happens to the first and second. It's possible that the fungus doesn't kill them, it just slightly alters something in the brain.

Candida auris is not a new fungus; it was first identified in Japan in 2009 and has since been found in over 40 countries. However, its emergence and spread in the United States is of concern as it poses a serious threat to public health and medical institutions.

Candida auris can persist on surfaces and equipment for long periods of time, making it difficult to eradicate. It can also cause outbreaks among patients and staff, especially in settings where infection control measures are inadequate or not followed. The CDC has classified Candida auris as an urgent threat and has urged healthcare professionals to be alert for signs and symptoms of infection, such as fever, chills, fatigue, pain, redness, or swelling at sites of trauma or catheter insertion.

The CDC has also recommended that health care facilities implement strict protocols for screening, testing, isolating, and treating patients with suspected or confirmed Candida auris infection. While Candida auris may seem like a new phenomenon, it is actually part of a broader trend of new fungal pathogens becoming increasingly resistant to existing drugs.

Fungi are ubiquitous organisms that live on plants, animals and humans. They can cause a variety of diseases ranging from mild skin infections to life-threatening systemic infections. Fungi can also produce toxins that can harm humans and animals. One of the main reasons why fungi are becoming increasingly drug-resistant is due to the widespread use and misuse of antifungal drugs in agriculture, medicine and industry.

Antifungal drugs are used to prevent or treat fungal infections in crops, livestock, pets and humans. However, the overuse or misuse of these agents may result in the selection and spread of resistant fungal strains that can evade or overcome the effects of the drugs.

Another reason mushrooms are becoming more resistant to drugs is climate change. Climate change can change the environmental conditions that affect the growth and survival of fungi. For example, increases in temperature, humidity levels, and carbon dioxide levels can favor the growth of some fungi over others. Climate change can also increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and storms, which can disrupt ecosystems and create opportunities for fungal invasion and transmission.