What these mushrooms do is similar to what aliens would do to humans in some horror movie. But all this is happening in reality, and so far this fungus has chosen flies as a carrier, but this is only for now …
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have discovered two new types of fungi that can infect and kill flies from the inside, but keep them "alive" in a zombie-like state to keep their bodies fresh. while they eat them, the flies can fly and even mate, spreading the spores of the invaders' fungi.
“Fungi infect two species of Danish flies (Coenosia tigrina and Coenosia testacea). In doing so, they create a large hole in the abdominal cavity of their infected hosts.
Flies live actively for several days, fly, mate, and fungal spores are thrown into the air from this hole in the abdomen and spread to new victims.
In a press release for a new study published in the Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, Jorgen Eilenberg, a biologist at the University of Copenhagen and co-author of the study, cites bloody details about the true zombie apocalypse among flies of the species Strongwellsea tigrinae and Strongwellsea acerosa, both found in the Danish metropolitan region near Copenhagen and Frederiksberg.
Zombification begins when the mushrooms enter the flies, and then begin to eat their way out, creating holes in the bodies of the flies for the release of spores.
The flies look fine - in fact, they can still mate and spread more spores to an unsuspecting partner.
They exist in a zombie state for several days, slowly eating until they finally fall to the ground, roll over, twitch and die forever, while their corpses continue to spread the invading mushroom spores.
“We suspect that these mushrooms may produce amphetamine-like substances that keep the fly's energy levels high until the very end. At the same time, we have a theory that mushrooms also produce substances that keep microorganisms from being wounded in the body by the mushrooms to release spores.”
In other words, as Jorgen Eilenberg explains, mushrooms make flies live a normal life while eating mushrooms, and this, according to the researchers, can be tried in humans.
Scientists want to test the use of a method that mushrooms use to prevent infection of a hole in a fly eaten in the belly for healing wounds in people in surgery, as a means of saving patients' lives and the absence of infections in the postoperative period.
"It's amazing how the life cycles of these fungi are so well adapted to the life of the flies they target."
Eilenberg notes that they have adapted to hibernation when the flies are inactive, and germinate in the spring when the flies start flying again.
To stop a zombie horse, you need more than just wave your hand and the horse does not hibernate or the person …
Let's hope these adaptable zombie mushrooms don't get the idea first.