In The Last of Uswe don’t really talk about zombies, but rather infected. Admittedly, the appearance of the antagonists as well as their behavior can bring confusion, but they are indeed not the undead. People affected are actually even alive, since the fungus known as Cordyceps can only exist in this form through a host in life.
However, there are several stages of cordycepts that act differently on the human body. When a person is infected with bite, they go through several stages of transformation, which gives birth to different physical capacities each time. There are runners, prowlers (introduced in this season 2), slammers and colossi. But the bite is not the only way to be infected with the fungus. The spores are also formidable. Where do they come from and how does their infection manifest?
What happens to WLF members in episode 5?
You should know that spores are The final stage of mutation in the cordycepts. They appear at the end of their life infected, when their body breaks down. It is the ultimate means for the fungus to propagate and infect more hosts. Spores are only dangerous in closed spaces where air does not circulate or very little. It is therefore unlikely that a person can be infected with spores on the surface or in the open air. As we can see in the games, but also in the series, the spores are in high concentration in underground passages, bunkers and other basements.
In the episode of this week, The Last of Us took us to the lower floors of Seattle Hospital. After the disappearance of certain WLF members, they are found in the basement, half mutated, but not completely transformed. We learn that, during a tracking intervention, the soldiers came across an astronomical quantity of spores and that it was already too late for them.
The highest probability is that the cordycepts has infiltrated their body by their breathing, as is the case for Nora later in the episode, and the fungus developed to the dispossessed of their faculties. However, the Corcyceps needs a body alive to develop, which is why it has spread without killing its hosts. Instead, culture has taken over and has invaded the whole environment.
Just like with the bite, there is no way to get out of it once the host infected. The inhalation of spores can also cause respiratory and pulmonary problems from the first seconds. Ellie can be subject to these concerns, although it will never be affected by the infectious part.
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