4 New Species of Zombie Ant Fungi Discovered in Brazilian Rainforest *pic*

Actually, for some mammals, there is the virus called rabies.

The virus is passed along to another host through a break in the skin or other mucus membranes. Once inside the host body, the virus invades nerve cells and travel along the nerves until it gets to the brain.

Once in the brain, it tends to modify the behavior of the host causing confusion or aggression among other symptoms (like throat spasms - difficulty swallowing).

While this is going on, the virus also goes from the brain to the salivary glands. This way, the mouth is full of virus-laden saliva, so that if the host animal bites another animal, the virus will be able to infect a new host.

Unfortunately, the infection tends to be fatal eventually. It is however, fascinating how all this is orchestrated to help the virus spread itself to new hosts.

Originally posted by WickettheRabbit
This is some freaky azz stuff, I have to say. The thought of parasites controlling the behavior of their host is really horror story material. What prevents mold from doing this to humans?

Maybe there's some kind of fungus that makes people listen to Bieber?

I'm running if I ever see sprouts coming out of someone's head.

As for Bieber, that has to be some massive uber evil fungus...

this fungus was in the bbc documentary planet earth.

Originally posted by Kangaruex4Ewe

Zombie ants?

Truly Sci-fi, and makes one wonder if something similar could occur with humans.

Yes, it's called Mainstream Media and Jersey Shore-esque T.V.

reply to post by Magzoid


Touché! Add some Bachelor and some Big Brother House and it could almost be considered lethal.

Never ever think you have things figured out because JUST when you think you do something like this will pop up lol.

As scary as the thought about this fungi and it's effects being trasfered to humans is it is nowhere near the creepiness of Morgellons disease which is CURRENTLY affecting humans. However if that fungi ever transfers to humans....I believe my opinion will change!



None-the-less we should still not live in fear.

Thanks for the thread Kangaruex4Ewe! What other mysteries may mother nature hiding? (oh and BTW I don't think Morgellons is natural )

SnF

Peace & Respect,

AS

Creepy kind of coolness
I remember seeing this and wondering if this was one tactic mother nature used for population control?
I know, I'm out on a limb here, but what started this phenomenon?
According to the article,"heavily degraded biodiversity hotspot " is what spawned this fungi, so that is why I ask if this is nature's way of addressing a dying ecosystem? Clean it out and start over, a rest button perhaps.

Peace,
spec
ETA: I wonder if this mechanism is limited to just ants?
Man if anyone starts growing fungus, they better find a new environment!

Originally posted by speculativeoptimist
Creepy kind of coolness

I remember seeing this and wondering if this was one tactic mother nature used for population control?
I know, I'm out on a limb here, but what started this phenomenon?
According to the article,"heavily degraded biodiversity hotspot " is what spawned this fungi, so that is why I ask if this is nature's way of addressing a dying ecosystem? Clean it out and start over, a rest button perhaps.

Peace,
spec
ETA: I wonder if this mechanism is limited to just ants?

Man if anyone starts growing fungus, they better find a new environment!

edit on 3-3-2011 by speculativeoptimist because: (no reason given)

""heavily degraded biodiversity hotspot " is what spawned this fungi"

You make it sound like cities may 'push' mother nature to spawn something similar to control OUR population growth lol ... Hey, who am I to disagree?

THEE most difficult thing to discern is whether something is done by man or nature (especially when it comes to something biological!). Unless of course we are all well versed in biology and the known aspects of what is possible in the field.

Have a star speculative

AS

reply to post by speculativeoptimist


I thought of the same thing. Mother nature seems to be ingenius at solving her own problems. Time and again we see things that (I think) are intentionally evolved/evolving to overcome a problem and create a working soluton. I find it awe inspiring.

reply to post by AeonStorm


Nice article. Thanks. Very weird indeed though. I have never heard of that. How spooky would it be to have fiber growing from sores on your body?

I feel like I need saran wrap and lots of neosporin to sleep tonight..

reply to post by AeonStorm

Touche' AS, my imagination get's excited with this kind of stuff
You have a good point and I am wondering what makes a city different than a "heavily degraded biosphere? Perhaps more activity and cleaning/sanitation efforts that happen in cities?
Did you check TheLooney's vid he included? Now that's even more bizarre! A fungus that grows unique to a single species, within that species, killing it, then releasing spores that kill only the same species in the affected areas that are in reach of the spores. A perfect weapon in a sense, or as presented, the great recycler.

spec

Originally posted by Kangaruex4Ewe
reply to post by AeonStorm

 

Nice article. Thanks.

Very weird indeed though. I have never heard of that. How spooky would it be to have fiber growing from sores on your body?

I feel like I need saran wrap and lots of neosporin to sleep tonight..

Did you read the part about those who are affected have the feeling of BUGS crawling underneath there skin!?!

Yikes! My empathy to anyone who contracts this disease!

(You may also want to note how closely this disease resembles carbon fibre nano-tubes)

Glad I can bring something new to you attention Kangaruex4Ewe...as you have brought this to mine.

AS

Originally posted by speculativeoptimist
reply to post by AeonStorm

 

Touche' AS, my imagination get's excited with this kind of stuff

You have a good point and I am wondering what makes a city different than a "heavily degraded biosphere? Perhaps more activity and cleaning/sanitation efforts that happen in cities?
Did you check TheLooney's vid he included? Now that's even more bizarre! A fungus that grows unique to a single species, within that species, killing it, then releasing spores that kill only the same species in the affected areas that are in reach of the spores. A perfect weapon in a sense, or as presented, the great recycler.

spec

You make a very good point though speculative! Even IF we keep clean and do not allow our environments to be over run with biodegradable materials that fungi can use to reproduce .... Perhaps there is something else...

I believe that WE (or more precisely TPTB) are going to create an event that at the very least represents a 'natural selection' to keep our population at bay...that or reduce it it dramatically. This could be a very valid reason why eugenics even exist! Perhaps this IS the reason why eugenics exist!

I watched Looney's vid and it was spectacular! I really must wonder at what our species equivalent 'answer' to depopulation must be!

If it is not us that controls our own population then surely it will be mother natures.

Peace & Respect,

AS

Originally posted by WickettheRabbit
This is some freaky azz stuff, I have to say. The thought of parasites controlling the behavior of their host is really horror story material. What prevents mold from doing this to humans?

Maybe there's some kind of fungus that makes people listen to Bieber?

"Just In Beaver" fungus.
Watch out for that One aslo People.
That stuff is contagious.

I recently had to slap my nephew violently around the head and forced him to break his 4 yr old daughter's
"Just In Beaver" CD for her sake. Just to keep THAT fungus out of their house.
Luckily the repeated beatings worked.

So any one that has a relative with the "just in beaver fever" Two or more smacks around the head should clear all symptoms up.
Repeat if necessary.
Good luck

This is horrifying. Most of you are probably already infested, and this is causing you to be drawn to craziness like ATS.

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii.[1] The parasite infects most genera of warm-blooded animals, including humans, but the primary host is the felid (cat) family

Just another reason why cats are evil....

Up to one third of the world's human population is estimated to carry a Toxoplasma infection

It has been found that the parasite has the ability to change the behaviour of its host: infected rats and mice are less fearful of cats—in fact, some of the infected rats seek out cat-urine-marked areas. This effect is advantageous to the parasite, which will be able to proliferate as a cat could eat the infected rat and later reproduce

89 percent of ATS members think cats are great, and are in contact with their evil regularly.

The findings of behavioural alteration in rats and mice have led some scientists to speculate that Toxoplasma may have similar effects in humans, even in the latent phase that had previously been considered asymptomatic. Toxoplasma is one of a number of parasites that may alter their host's behaviour as a part of their life cycle.[26] The behaviors observed, if caused by the parasite, are likely due to infection and low-grade encephalitis, which is marked by the presence of cysts in the human brain, which may produce or induce production of a neurotransmitter, possibly dopamine,[27] therefore acting similarly to dopamine reuptake inhibitor type antidepressants and stimulants

Correlations have been found between latent Toxoplasma infections and various characteristics:[28] * Decreased novelty seeking behaviour[29] * Slower reactions[30] * Lower rule-consciousness and greater jealousy (in men)[29] * Promiscuity and greater conscientiousness (in women)[

Other studies suggest that the parasite may influence personality. There are claims of Toxoplasma causing antisocial attitudes in men and promiscuity[36] (or even "signs of higher intelligence"[33] ) in women, and greater susceptibility to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in all infected persons.[36] A 2004 study found that Toxoplasma "probably induce[s] a decrease of novelty seeking."

One third of the world is probably already infected with this zombifying, personality altering parasite, mostly caught from letting your cat sleep in the bed with you. The primary symptom is posting pics like this:




All lolcats posters should be banned before they infect the rest of us!

Best protection? Train dogs to kill all cats on sight!

reply to post by davidchin


"The virus is passed along to another host through a break in the skin or other mucus membranes. Once inside the host body, the virus invades nerve cells and travel along the nerves until it gets to the brain.

Once in the brain, it tends to modify the behavior of the host causing confusion or aggression"

Rabies are an intelligent life form.Any virus that takes over the body is intelligent..body snatchers anyone?Also reminds me of Return of the Living Dead movie.

How do we know that these virus's don't come from outer-space?Could be aliens.They are just small aliens.Now if they were huge and we could actually see them we would be peeing our pants,but because they're so small we don't worry about it as much.

I never heard much about toxoplasmosis except when I got pregnant. I got screened for it and told to have my husband clean the cats' letterboxes. It wouldn't surprise me if owning cats make you crazy. I know I must be crazy to put up with my cats. There are many other ways to get toxoplasmosis so I'm not going to freak out and get rid of the cats for that reason alone. The point of interest to me is that I did not know this disease makes rats and mice actually seek out cats. My husband and I could not fathom why the mice that got into our house last year ran out in the open in front if the cats! One mouse actually ran up my cat's shoulder. That poor cat was stunned and to this day is wary of even her toy mice. it was up to us humans to set up mousetraps and seal off entrances to the house. The cats were not having any part of tangling with Kamikaze mice. I wonder now if these mice were infected with that bacteria.

reply to post by RANDOMguess


The term "zombie" actually arose in light of a story in Haiti. When a man that was pronounced dead 18 yrs before I believe, was found wondering the streets. Through some investigation, they found that a sugar plantation owner, who was dubbed a "witch", was infecting people with the venom of blowfish. Thus, causing them to "appear" dead. Then, he brought them back, but the effects of the venom is pretty much like a frontal lobodamy, turning them into zombies, under his control. This happened in the 60's, if I remember right.

If you look into it more, you'll find that there are already plenty of circumstances out there for some sort of "zombie" epidemic.

Also, according to the 1984 Hollywood film, Return of the Living Dead, that movie was based on real events.

Originally posted by Chickensalad
reply to post by RANDOMguess

 

The term "zombie" actually arose in light of a story in Haiti. When a man that was pronounced dead 18 yrs before I believe, was found wondering the streets. Through some investigation, they found that a sugar plantation owner, who was dubbed a "witch", was infecting people with the venom of blowfish. Thus, causing them to "appear" dead. Then, he brought them back, but the effects of the venom is pretty much like a frontal lobodamy, turning them into zombies, under his control. This happened in the 60's, if I remember right.

If you look into it more, you'll find that there are already plenty of circumstances out there for some sort of "zombie" epidemic.

Omg that is crazy. Forcing someone to live in that condition for his own gain....wow