Can Global Warming Trigger a Zombie Apocalypse Like ‘The Last of Us’?

Can Global Warming Trigger a Zombie Apocalypse Like ‘The Last of Us’?

KAKALI DAS

What do climate change and zombies have in common, aside from the fact that both send my anxiety into overdrive? You might think not much, but you’d be mistaken.

If you’ve watched the HBO series “The Last of Us,” starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, released in 2023,you’ll know two things.

First, zombie shows are intense emotional roller coasters. And second, in this version of the apocalypse, it’s climate change that sets the stage for the zombie outbreak.

In the show, to be more specific, the warming of the planet causes a fungal parasite to evolve and thrive in higher temperatures, like those found in the human body.

The fungus begins to take control of its human hosts, and before you know it, zombies are everywhere, all set against a heart-wrenching coming-of-age narrative about the loss of innocence in a brutal world. Honestly, I found myself crying a lot while watching this show.

Could this really happen? Could climate change spark a mind-altering, zombie-like pandemic? How is climate change already impacting our risk of both old and new diseases? And what are the “zombies” that climate change is waking up from their slumber today?

Though, spoiler alert, these zombies are less about “brains” and more about the “arctic tundra.”

Could the story of “The Last of Us” become a reality? Probably not. However, changing the climate does alter how diseases spread, and we should be concerned about certain disease carriers in particular, like insects, arachnids, or, more unscientifically speaking, creepy crawlies.

Many of these creatures thrive in wetter seasons and warmer temperatures. So, if we were to turn the world into one big “hotel” and make specific regions wetter, it would expand the range of these pesky little creatures.

One of the biggest concerns we have with climate change is the worsening of mosquito populations. Mosquitoes need water to breed and prefer warmer conditions to survive, and unfortunately, they’re excellent at spreading parasites and pathogens that can be deadly to humans.

We’re talking about diseases like malaria, yellow fever, dengue, Saint Louis encephalitis, La Crosse encephalitis, Eastern equine encephalitis, chikungunya, Zika, and the list goes on. Unfortunately, mosquitoes are just really good at being really bad for humans.

It’s not just mosquitoes, either. Ticks – those dreadful, blood-sucking arachnids, are spreading Lyme disease more than ever, with research suggesting a link to rising temperatures and declining biodiversity, both of which are expanding the ticks’ range.

And there are even more disease-spreading creepy crawlies whose habitats are likely to grow as we continue to heat the planet and disrupt ecosystems. Creatures like the Tsetse fly and the Kissing Bug (which, despite the name, is far from charming).

As serious as it is that these diseases are spreading to new areas and affecting more people, but malaria and Lyme disease aren’t exactly the same as the zombie apocalypse in “The Last of Us”.

None of these diseases are pleasant, but Lyme disease won’t turn us into murderous monsters battling for control of decaying cities like in The Last of Us.

But could climate change actually create brand new disease threats for us? Well, COVID-19 already showed us how dangerous it can be when diseases jump from animals to humans.

“Basically, as the climate changes, things get a little hairy. And by ‘a little hairy,’ I mean vertebrate animals that weren’t previously found in certain areas are suddenly showing up there. Like insects, many animals will shift their habitat ranges to cope with changing climates. Combine that with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events caused by climate change, and wildlife is being pushed into closer contact with humans. At the same time, humans are encroaching more and more into wild spaces. The more overlap there is between wildlife and people, the greater the risk of a disease spilling over from animals to humans, and potentially becoming the spark for the next epidemic, or even a pandemic,” Maren Hunsberger, a microbiologist and scientist said.

So, all of this is starting to make it seem more and more like the story of “The Last of Us” could become a reality. And I don’t just mean the part where the weary, regretful man struggles to find his humanity – I also mean the part where the brain-controlling fungus jumps to humans.

As they pointed out in the very first episode of “The Last of Us”, most fungi can’t usually survive in the heat of the human body. But as the planet warms, we’re seeing fungi adapt to thrive at higher temperatures. These heat-resistant fungi can now survive on and in humans, causing serious illness where they couldn’t before. And that’s actually happening in real life, and yes, it’s a result of climate change.

One example of a real-life concern is Candida auris. And while the fungus in The Last of Us is a fictional version of Cordyceps, the real Cordyceps fungi do exist. Many types of Cordyceps actually take over the brain and nervous system of their hosts, turning them into something resembling zombies.

However, as Maren explained, the brains and nervous systems that Cordyceps can hijack are not human, or even mammalian, or even vertebrate. These fungi are only capable of zombifying insects, particularly ants. And, just in case you missed it, insects and humans are quite different creatures.

And ants are nothing like us – they don’t produce their own body heat, they don’t have red blood cells, their skeleton is on the outside, they’ve got six legs and antennae.

“The point is,” Maren said, “the chances of a Cordyceps fungus evolving the tools it would need to infect humans, or any kind of mammal, anytime within the next few thousand years, if not hundreds of thousands, are incredibly slim.”

But it’s not that zombies don’t exist – Climate change might actually be waking some up. Enter: permafrost. Permafrost is land that’s permanently frozen, or at least, it’s supposed to be.

But global warming is heating polar regions much faster than the rest of the planet, causing this frozen ground to thaw, and potentially reviving some ancient threats. Okay, I’m talking about so-called “zombie viruses” here. Though, to be fair, I think the term is a bit unnecessarily scary.

The reason they’re called “zombie viruses” is because they’ve essentially come back from the dead. These viruses were trapped in the frozen Arctic for tens of thousands of years and are now being reanimated as the permafrost thaws.

So no, these viruses won’t turn people into zombies. It’s the viruses themselves that are the zombies. But that doesn’t mean they don’t pose a serious threat.

As Maren said, these pathogens may not have been exposed to humans for thousands of years, or possibly ever, which makes us especially vulnerable to them.

In fact, some studies have uncovered old strains of the Black Plague and anthrax from the remains of humans and animals buried in the permafrost. And the anthrax outbreak did lead to a small incident.

So, the thawing of the permafrost and the reawakening of these ancient pathogens is just another way climate change is amplifying the risks posed by infectious diseases.

It’s definitely comforting to know we’re not about to turn into blood-curdling, clicking zombies anytime soon. But at the same time, it’s clear that climate change is increasing our risk of disease, whether by reviving ancient viruses, making it easier for diseases to jump from animals to humans, or simply helping existing illnesses spread more widely.

Still, we’re not powerless. We can adapt and prepare. The good news is that scientists are working hard to understand these emerging threats. Ongoing research is helping us both prevent the next pandemic and prepare for how to respond. Because it’s not a matter of if, but when.

For instance, we’re making significant progress in vaccine development and researchers are also tackling bacterial threats, with headlines like “Plant toxin hailed as ‘new weapon’ in antibiotic war” and “Manchester scientists develop new antibiotics through gene editing.” These breakthroughs aim to ensure we have effective tools to fight antibiotic-resistant diseases.

We can also strengthen efforts to protect people from the diseases we’re already facing. That includes increasing access to mosquito nets, bug sprays, and public education about tick-borne illnesses. And importantly, we need to invest more in researching and treating diseases that are often overlooked – simply because they haven’t yet reached wealthier parts of the world.

So, while “The Last of Us” was right in showing that two people can still fall in love amidst a crumbling world, it was a bit off with the idea that climate change could trigger a fungal zombie apocalypse.

In reality, climate change does increase our risk of disease, and if we want to protect ourselves, whether from pandemics or extreme weather, we need to take action. The key? Stop burning fossil fuels.

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