4 real-life zombie parasites that make The Last of Us look tame

Photo caption: Zombie ant of the genus Camponotus infected by a fungus of the genus Ophiocordyceps. Photo credit: Biólogo de Pracinha via Wikimedia. CC BY-SA 4.0. [Photo rotated 90 degrees clockwise]. Article by Michael Irving. New Atlas – April 12, 2025.

Zombies are real – not in the walking dead sense, but there are parasites that can hack the brains of living creatures and force them to do things against their will, with the goal of spreading the infection. That relative realism is why The Last of Us hits so hard, and the launch of the second season feels like a great time to explore some of the real-world zombie stories that inspired it. […]

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