At later stages, their body begins to bulge, and more fungi growths can be seen on their skin. The fungus on Stalkers, Clickers, and Bloaters is bio-luminescent. Their teeth are horribly rotten and jagged.

Over time, growths protrude out of the orifices of the human hosts and it changes their physical appearance. All of the infected are weak to fire.Īs said in the previous section, the Infected humans have since undergone a strange mutation by a specialized strain of cordyceps. Dead victims who come into contact with the infection do not undergo transformation. In order for the fungus to infect a host body, the host must first be alive. The Last of Us game team has stated that the people in the quarantine zones are relatively safe because in places with significant airflow, the spore concentration cannot build up, which is why the only places with significant spore toxicity tend to be underground or abandoned buildings. While this may be the end of the line for the host, the fungus will live on. When an Infected feels it is close to death, it will find dark, moist corners to die in. This lifeless carcass serves as a breeding ground for the fungus to spread throughout the environment.

Spore development is the last stage in the life cycle of the Infected. The infection is also spread directly through contact with an Infected or via their corpse - that is, the infectious spores created by the Cordyceps and released from the host's body upon death. The host will then go through four different stages of infection: Runner, Stalker, Clicker, and Bloater each stage is more dangerous than the last. Outside the QZ's, the Infected roamed freely and would continuously taint the environment with deadly spores as the fungus kept growing within their bodies.įor humans that have been exposed to a mutated strain of Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis, the fungus attacks the brain and begins to alter the behaviour of its host. In the US, Quarantine Zones were established where uninfected could reside, though living conditions would be consistently poor due to the shortages of supplies and the perpetual state of martial law. With society on the verge of collapse, the remnants of the world's governments took drastic steps to protect their remaining populations. Attempts to prevent the infection from spreading beyond US borders failed and it soon reached pandemic proportions, threatening to wipe out mankind. According to the storyline of The Last Of Us, the CBI plague spread rapidly across the United States of America in September 2013.

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