Most fungal infections are not spread person to person, so they're inhaled. There's less likelihood of it becoming a kind of global pandemic scenario. Every year, approximately 40% of the world's rice crops are lost to this fungal disease called rice blast disease. I think if a fungus emerged, which caused widespread crop loss, that could be a problem.
Madeleine Finlay speaks to Guardian science correspondent Linda Geddes about the possibility of a fungal pandemic like the one depicted in apocalyptic thriller The Last of Us. They discuss the strange world of fungi, the risks of infections and treatment resistance, and what we can do to protect ourselves from future fungal threats. Help support our independent journalism at
theguardian.com/sciencepod