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<\/p>\nA Last of Us-like zombie fungus is feared to be spreading after a world-first case was confirmed in an unnamed person.<\/p>\n
Silver leaf disease had been a problem for rose bushes and branches, not the human race \u2013 until now. A 61-year-old Indian mycologist appears to have contracted the disease, a world first for the predominantly plant-based fungus.<\/p>\n
Case studies from earlier this year confirmed the botanical blunder, which has seen a male patient in India's eastern region diagnosed following a cough and hoarse voice were noted.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Earth's core could be 'leaking helium' as scientists find evidence of 'how planets form'<\/b><\/p>\n
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A CT and X-ray scan of his neck revealed a pus-filled abscess next to his trachea. It came as the unnamed patient was suffering from fatigue and a difficulty in swallowing also.<\/p>\n
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Lab tests undertaken at the time found no signs of any concern, but later testing and a special staining technique used to detect fungi, found the root-like filaments causing trouble.<\/p>\n
With just a few hundred fungal disease types found in people so far, the appearance of hyphae in the man's throat was a cause for concern, sciencealert reported. Usual infections like ringworm and athlete's foot cause irritation, but little is known about silver leaf disease's impact on people.<\/p>\n
Fungal-like infections of unknown origins were the basis of the Last of Us' plot, the hit video game which saw the world plunged into chaos following an outbreak of a mystery disease. Said infections soon spread, and an extremely rare fungus was behind it.<\/p>\n
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This extremely rare infection's origins are unknown, with the infected mycologist not sure where he could have picked up the troublesome fungus. Said patient had a fully working immune system and was not suffering any long-term health defects either, prompting some concern from the scientific community.<\/p>\n
Study authors wrote: "Cross-kingdom human pathogens, and their potential plant reservoirs, have important implications for the emergence of infectious diseases."<\/p>\n
Thankfully for the rest of the human race, it remains somewhat unlikely we will ever see the infection again. Why worry about a fungal infection when the Earth's core is, according to a new report, 'leaking helium' at an alarming rate.<\/p>\n
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