There's an estimated 12 million species, most of which we know nothing about and they've never been characterized. Fungi are responsible for about a billion infections worldwide each year. The most common ones are a nuisance, but they're not deadly. But fungi do kill about 2 million people each year - more than TB or malaria.
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