Can Cordyceps Infect Humans? The Truth About the “Zombie Fungus” Myth
Quick Answer
No evidence shows that Cordyceps militaris can infect humans in the way Cordyceps fungi infect insects.
The famous “zombie fungus” idea comes from real fungi that parasitize specific insects and other arthropods. Some can influence the behaviour of their insect hosts, but their biology is highly specialized.
The fictional idea of Cordyceps adapting to humans, taking control of human behaviour, and spreading from person to person is not supported by current scientific evidence.
Where Did the Zombie Fungus Idea Come From?
The idea is based on a genuinely fascinating relationship between certain fungi and insects.
Some entomopathogenic fungi infect an insect host, grow within it, and eventually produce fungal structures that release spores.
Species in the Cordyceps and related groups have evolved relationships with particular insects and other arthropods.
The dramatic appearance of infected insects inspired the fictional Cordyceps outbreak portrayed in books, video games, television, and movies.
For more about Cordyceps biology, see What Makes Cordyceps Different From Other Mushrooms?
What Does Cordyceps Infect in Nature?
Cordyceps species are primarily associated with insects and other arthropods.
Different fungal species may specialize in particular hosts.
For example, Cordyceps militaris is an entomopathogenic fungus studied for its ability to infect insects such as moth and silkworm larvae or pupae. Researchers continue to investigate the biological mechanisms involved in this host-fungus relationship.
This specialization is an important reason the fictional leap from insect infection to human infection is so large.
Can Cordyceps Control an Insect’s Behaviour?
Some related fungi can influence the behaviour of their insect hosts.
One well-known example involves fungi associated with ants. Infection can alter an ant’s behaviour before the fungus eventually produces reproductive structures from the dead insect.
This is a highly specialized interaction involving fungal species and particular insect hosts.
It should not be interpreted as evidence that the same process could occur in people.
Could Cordyceps Evolve to Infect Humans?
Evolution is always occurring, so science rarely describes a biological event as absolutely impossible.
However, jumping from an insect host to a human host would require enormous biological changes.
Humans and insects differ in:
- body temperature
- immune systems
- anatomy
- metabolism
- nervous systems
- cell biology
- environmental conditions inside the body
A CDC-published review discussing this exact question concluded that no vertebrate Cordyceps hosts are known and that evolution from an insect-adapted Cordyceps to a vertebrate host would require major evolutionary change.
Does Human Body Temperature Matter?
Temperature is one of several natural barriers that protects humans from many fungi.
Many environmental fungi do not grow well at normal human body temperature.
Human immunity, tissue structure, and other biological barriers also make humans very different environments from the insects Cordyceps species have evolved to infect.
Temperature alone does not explain everything, but it is one part of the much larger host-specificity question.
Does This Mean Fungi Cannot Infect Humans?
No.
This distinction is important.
Humans can develop fungal infections from completely different fungi. Candida, Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, and several other fungal groups can cause human disease.
Fungal infections are a legitimate medical issue.
What science does not support is the idea that insect-parasitizing Cordyceps militaris will suddenly behave like the fictional fungus portrayed in zombie stories.
What About Rare Reports Involving Cordyceps-Related Fungi?
The fungal group commonly called Cordyceps includes numerous species, and they should not all be treated as identical.
For example, a rare 2024 medical case involved allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis associated with Cordyceps farinosa. That is a different species and a very different phenomenon from an insect-parasitizing fungus taking control of a human host.
This is another reason it is better to identify mushrooms by their actual species instead of treating every organism called “Cordyceps” as the same fungus.
What About Cordyceps militaris Sold as Food?
Cultivated Cordyceps militaris fruiting bodies are grown under controlled conditions rather than being harvested from infected wild insects.
Commercial cultivation typically produces the familiar orange fruiting bodies.
Once harvested and properly dried, they can be prepared as:
- tea
- broths
- soups
- rice dishes
- mushroom recipes
- ground mushroom powder
If you want to see the form we grow, visit Dried Cordyceps militaris.
Is Cultivated Cordyceps Grown on Insects?
It does not have to be.
Cordyceps militaris can be cultivated without insects using controlled growing methods and an appropriate nutrient substrate.
This makes commercial cultivation very different from the natural lifecycle seen when wild Cordyceps infects insect hosts.
You can learn more in How Medicinal Mushrooms Are Grown.
Can Cordyceps Spores Infect Someone Handling the Mushrooms?
There is no evidence that handling cultivated Cordyceps militaris fruiting bodies causes the insect-style parasitic infection portrayed in fiction.
Normal food-handling principles still apply.
Dried mushrooms should be correctly identified, properly dried, kept free from contamination, and stored away from moisture.
Anyone with a known mushroom or fungal allergy should also consider their individual sensitivity.
For a broader discussion, see Cordyceps Mushroom Safety: General Considerations and Product Quality.
Myth: Cordyceps Can Turn Humans Into Zombies
There is no scientific evidence for this.
The idea takes a fascinating insect-fungus relationship and extends it far beyond what is known biologically.
Fact: Some Cordyceps-Related Fungi Parasitize Insects
Yes.
This is real biology and one of the reasons these fungi are so interesting to researchers.
Myth: Climate Change Will Suddenly Make Cordyceps Infect Humans
Climate change can influence fungal ecology and infectious disease patterns, and scientists do study how warming may affect fungal organisms.
But adapting from a highly specialized insect host to humans would require much more than simply tolerating a slightly warmer environment.
The fictional overnight transformation into a human “zombie fungus” is not a realistic description of fungal evolution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Cordyceps militaris infect humans?
There is no evidence that Cordyceps militaris parasitizes humans in the way it can parasitize insect hosts.
Can Cordyceps control the human brain?
There is no scientific evidence that Cordyceps militaris can control human behaviour.
Are zombie ants real?
The term refers informally to real insect-fungus relationships in which certain fungi can alter the behaviour of infected insects.
Are all Cordyceps species the same?
No. Different species can have different hosts, biology, chemistry, and ecological relationships.
Is the fungus in The Last of Us scientifically accurate?
The story takes inspiration from real insect-parasitizing fungi, but the human infection and behavioural-control scenario is fictional.
Final Thoughts
The real Cordyceps story is interesting enough without zombies.
These fungi have evolved extraordinary relationships with insects and other arthropods, and researchers continue to study how those interactions work.
But the biological specialization that allows a fungus to infect a particular insect is very different from the ability to infect a human.
Current scientific evidence provides no reason to believe cultivated Cordyceps militaris can turn humans into the hosts portrayed in zombie fiction.