HBO’s post-apocalyptic drama “The Last of Us” and the video game series that inspired it take place in a world where a mass, airborne fungal infection has transformed humans into violent zombies. 

And while the series is a work of fiction, the threat fungal pathogens pose to humans is real, with infections becoming increasingly common and treatment resistant. 

“It’s an imaginative spin on what’s happening,” said Dr. Brian Peters, a molecular mycologist and immunologist at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. 

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Peters leads a research laboratory at UTHSC’s College of Pharmacy, funded by the National Institutes of Health, which focuses on fungal pathogenesis.

The team is at the forefront of the fight against opportunistic fungi, such as aspergillus fumigatus, candida albicans and cryptococcus neoformans.

They’re just a few of the fungal species that made the World Health Organization’s first-ever list of concerning fungal pathogens. 

These pathogens are especially dangerous for people with weakened immune systems, including those with cancer, HIV/AIDS, organ transplants and chronic respiratory diseases.

“Emerging from the shadows of the bacterial antimicrobial resistance pandemic, fungal infections are growing, and are ever more resistant to treatments, becoming a public health concern worldwide” said Dr Hanan Balkhy, assistant director of antimicrobial resistance at WHO.