Cordyceps only affects insects; it can’t infect humans. In fact, it’s apparently often used to treat certain ailments, such as respiratory disorders, and can boost the immune system.
Another frequent inquiry is “Can cordyceps fungus infect humans?”.
Cordyceps can’t infect humans, as our bodies are better than insects at attacking pathogens. So you can rest easy, knowing you won’t turn into a zombie from these things. Can zombie fungus affect humans? “So, yes, consuming the fungus will drive you crazy, and getting infected is possible.
Note that Cordyceps is a genus within Hypocreales (hence the article referring to “Hypocrealean AP fungi”). We can safely assume the odds of anyone ever identifying a mammal infected with Cordyceps are about as close to 0 as they could be—it does not seem that species in this genus are able to infect humans.
A common inquiry we ran across in our research was “Could the Cordyceps fungus spread to humans?”.
But in order for the Cordyceps fungus to spread to humans, it would have to undergo a ridiculous amount of changes in its genome. In The Last of Us, a virus inserts itself into the fungal genome and causes it to jump to humans.
What happens when you die from Cordyceps fungus?
After a couple of weeks, you would die in that spot. And now that you’re dead, the Cordyceps fungus can continue to spread, turning you into what’s known as a fruiting body. This is when spores and fungi would start to come out of you. They’d come out from everywhere that doesn’t have any hard bone blocking its way.
Deep in the jungle, there’s a fungus that infects creatures, and turns them into zombies. This deadly fungus, known as Cordyceps, has the ability to take out entire species. What if this fungus infected you, by touching your skin, or just by breathing it in? Could the Cordyceps fungus turn you into a zombie?
Can Cordyceps process human or mammal sterols?
As of this time, cordyceps is incapable of processing human or mammal or most animal sterols. Cordyceps is adapted to utilizing insect sterols.