Multiple rats in Atlanta test positive for calamitous, rapidly spreading parasite.

    • nottelling@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      47
      arrow-down
      6
      ·
      1 year ago

      Nah, this is global capitalism blindly moving goods across the planet as quickly and cheaply as possible so all the diseases are spreading thing.

      • Varyk@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        12
        ·
        1 year ago

        Looks like both are suspected:

        “But, with climate change and the human-facilitated spread of rats and other hosts…”

      • x4740N@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        1 year ago

        Yet we have global security theatre in airports that will fine you and seize stuff to prevent diseases being spread

      • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        7
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        just wait 'till the Zombie Fungus jumps into humans…

        *fuck. I just read the article and… :

        Medicinal potential

        Ophiocordyceps are known in the pharmaceutical world to be a medically-important group.[7] O. unilateralis fungi produce various known secondary metabolites, as well as several structurally uncharacterised substances. These natural products are reportedly being investigated as potential leads in discovery efforts toward immunomodulatory, antitumor, hypoglycemic, and hypocholesterolemic targets.[24]

        In an Ophiocordyceps species within Japanese cicadas, the Ophiocordyceps replaces the symbiotic bacteria within the cicadas to help the host process sap as nutrients, unlike other related species, such as the Ophiocordyceps sinensis, which is a traditional immune booster and cancer treatment in Tibetan and Chinese culture.[25]

        And here I thought releasing the cannibal ants was a bad idea…

      • Varyk@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        1 year ago

        Oh they’re here, there’s plenty of fungus that can live inside us.

        They’ve been here a long time though, fungi are aaaaadaptable.