Do we need to worry about a fungus that ultimately turns humans into zombies with parasitic tendrils coming out of their mouths, ready to attack?
That鈥檚 the concept behind the world-destroying pandemic in The Last of Us, a new HBO series based on a video game that鈥檚 known for mixing the zombie apocalypse genre with heart and humanity.
In the series, survivors struggle to endure a world where cordyceps, a type of fungi that typically infects ants or spiders, is able to jump to the human population due to climate change. Parasitic Cordyceps take over the host body by filling its cavity with spores.
In the TV show, humans are taken over by the fungi and turned into zombie-like creatures that chase survivors in order to infect them through a bite.
According to James Scott, a professor at the University of Toronto who specializes in biological hazards and microfungi, it may not just be the stuff of science fiction.
鈥淲e already have a lot of diseases of humans caused by fungi. But the fortunate thing is, there are lots of fungi on the planet, millions of different kinds, and there鈥檚 really only a handful that cause serious diseases of people,鈥 Scott told CTV鈥檚 Your Morning on Friday, explaining that a pandemic fuelled by cordyceps is actually possible.
For the most part, he added, if a human is infected by a fungus, it鈥檚 difficult for them to transmit it to another human.
But that could change, Scott said. 鈥淭he more we uncover remnants of lost rainforest in all sorts of far-flung rainforests, there is a possibility to encounter some of these things鈥 that could then jump into the human population,鈥 he said.
Watch the full interview above to learn more and about how fungal and bacterial infections differ.
In part three of a four-part investigation into the seedy underbelly of the lucrative clothing donation bin industry, CTV W5's Jon Woodward and Joseph Loiero look into allegations that the industry is rife with organized crime activity.
Canada will lower the number of permanent immigrants it allows into the country by at least 20 per cent from its previous target of 500,000, 愛污传媒 confirmed Wednesday.
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the Liberal party is 'strong and united,' despite efforts from within his caucus to oust him as leader.
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Abousfian Abdelrazik told a court Wednesday about the roller-coaster of emotions he experienced during the tense days of early 2009 when he awaited the green light to return to Canada from Sudan.
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Trash carried by a North Korean balloon fell on the presidential compound in central Seoul on Thursday, officials said, the second such case in recent months that raise concerns about the vulnerability of key South Korean sites during potential North Korean aggression.
Turkiye鈥檚 air force struck Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and Syria on Wednesday in apparent retaliation for an attack at a key state-run defence company that killed five people and wounded more than a dozen others.
The Justice Department warned Elon Musk鈥檚 America PAC in recent days that his US$1 million sweepstakes to registered voters in swing states may violate federal law, people briefed on the matter told CNN.
If you鈥檙e a regular visitor to Walt Disney World, your annual passes are going to cost you more. The resort in Orlando, Fla., hiked prices on all four levels of its passes on Wednesday.
Three people were found dead Wednesday and four others were hospitalized after an 'unexplained' incident at a care home in southern England, police said.
The U.S. said Wednesday that 3,000 North Korean troops have deployed to Russia and are training at several locations, calling the move very serious and warning that those forces will be 'fair game' if they go into combat in Ukraine.
Canada will lower the number of permanent immigrants it allows into the country by at least 20 per cent from its previous target of 500,000, 愛污传媒 confirmed Wednesday.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the Liberal party is 'strong and united,' despite efforts from within his caucus to oust him as leader.
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McDonald鈥檚 worked Wednesday to reassure customers that its U.S. restaurants are safe as federal investigators tried to pinpoint the cause of a deadly E. coli outbreak linked to the fast-food giant's Quarter Pounder hamburgers.
A quick shake of the head after a hard hit could signal that a person has a concussion, a new study suggests, based on the experiences of young athletes.
A recall has been issued for certain clothing items sold at Giant Tiger stores over high levels of lead, according to a notice published by Health Canada Tuesday.
Vancouver Fire Rescue Services received its first shipment of new firefighting gear on Wednesday, advancing the department's plans to reduce cancer risk for its members.
Officials in Hong Kong said Wednesday they have discovered dinosaur fossils in the city for the first time on a remote, uninhabited island that's part of a geopark.
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Cardi B says she has been hospitalized with a medical emergency and will have to miss a Saturday night headlining performance at an Atlanta music festival.
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Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.
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Starbucks Corp suspended its forecast through the next fiscal year as new CEO Brian Niccol looks to turn around the coffee giant struggling with falling demand for its pricey drinks.
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Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.
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Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.
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Barrie police conducted a search on Wednesday of the last place Autumn Shaganash was seen in hopes of giving her family some answers to her mysterious disappearance.
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The Windsor Jewish Federation responded on Wednesday evening to a decision by the board of governors for the University of Windsor concerning its agreements with pro-Palestinian protesters.
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Two B.C. RCMP officers won鈥檛 face criminal charges for their use for force that left a man who had been arrested for public intoxication with a concussion, a torn shoulder and a chunk of his hair missing 鈥 but they could face professional discipline.
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A man who fired at least 19 gunshots at an RCMP detachment in northern British Columbia, narrowly missing officers inside, has won a reduced prison sentence from the province's highest court, which ruled the sentencing judge failed to fully weigh the man's mental illness at the time.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
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Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
Graduate students looking to become mental-health professionals will have more opportunities to study in the University of Lethbridge鈥檚 Master of Education Counselling Psychology program.
A dazzling light display is making its return to Lethbridge this holiday season.
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The lack of 24-hour public washrooms has been a long-standing issue in the Sault, especially considering the rise in homelessness.
The union representing the fire rangers with the Ministry of Natural Resources says money won鈥檛 fix the systemic problems in the workplace.
Rallies by a group called Voices Against Violence took place across the country on Monday, including Sault Ste. Marie.
Investigators found the remains of a 77-year-old American man on Wednesday at the scene of a fire that destroyed a hotel in western Newfoundland earlier on the weekend.
Police in western Newfoundland say a 77-year-old man visiting the province from Kansas is missing after a fire at a hotel in Deer Lake, N.L.
At 2 p.m. on Thursday, the scene at the Lions Club in Clarenville, N.L., rivalled any rowdy St. John's bar that thumps with music late on a weekend night.
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