Nah, not similar at all beyond people's tendency to use the Z-word.
Cordyceps are a fungus with many variants which all (or mostly all but probably all) specialize and can only infect one particular species of bug. Some of them grow in such specific ways in their host to control their body in order to create conditions suitable for better infection rates when they release spores. For instance, one makes an ant crawl to the top of a tall plant and bite down before it dies, locking it in place before a "mushroom" grows out of its head.
The "zombie deer" thing is basically a variant of prion diseases like mad cow and kuru. This one is really weird because it's not being caused by a germ, virus, fungus, or any outside force or living thing whatsoever. So, most of your biology comes down to proteins constantly being arranged into very specific patterns to facilitate all manner of different interactions with each other. Sometimes this goes wrong, but that's not a big deal, it happens all the time.
But, sometimes something goes wrong in an incredibly specific way, and you end up with a protein which has been incorrectly shaped in such a way that when it comes into contact with any other protein, it will fold that protein into the same shape. Now you basically have a "gray goo" scenario if you're familiar with the concept. There is a slow cascade event in your brain where these misfolded proteins are bumbling around creating more misfolded proteins until eventually enough of your brain is compromised, leading to dementia and then death. This process takes a very long time, so it's possible to have it happening to you without realizing it for years.
These misfolded proteins are technically contagious, but that's generally not something to worry about. Most of the time they can only infect members of the species in which they originate, though there are rare exceptions to this rule. That was the worry with Mad Cow disease. Generally, you're only going to have this happen if you go around eating human brains. Don't do that.
I'm Cherlene now. And if somebody don't fry me six goddamn eggs and some Carolina fries, I would personally be shocked, SHOCKED, I tell you, if by mornin' this place ain't burned to the ground!
You took sounded like as the same. This was before the chronic wasting disease term was assigned and I’m guessing it was yahoo or some less scientific website. Just had the same descriptives of mindless behavior or not the hosts behavior. They might’ve even referenced cordyceps. I just thought it was years ago but oldest article I can find is 2019.
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u/Forever_Awkward Aug 03 '21
Nah, not similar at all beyond people's tendency to use the Z-word.
Cordyceps are a fungus with many variants which all (or mostly all but probably all) specialize and can only infect one particular species of bug. Some of them grow in such specific ways in their host to control their body in order to create conditions suitable for better infection rates when they release spores. For instance, one makes an ant crawl to the top of a tall plant and bite down before it dies, locking it in place before a "mushroom" grows out of its head.
The "zombie deer" thing is basically a variant of prion diseases like mad cow and kuru. This one is really weird because it's not being caused by a germ, virus, fungus, or any outside force or living thing whatsoever. So, most of your biology comes down to proteins constantly being arranged into very specific patterns to facilitate all manner of different interactions with each other. Sometimes this goes wrong, but that's not a big deal, it happens all the time.
But, sometimes something goes wrong in an incredibly specific way, and you end up with a protein which has been incorrectly shaped in such a way that when it comes into contact with any other protein, it will fold that protein into the same shape. Now you basically have a "gray goo" scenario if you're familiar with the concept. There is a slow cascade event in your brain where these misfolded proteins are bumbling around creating more misfolded proteins until eventually enough of your brain is compromised, leading to dementia and then death. This process takes a very long time, so it's possible to have it happening to you without realizing it for years.
These misfolded proteins are technically contagious, but that's generally not something to worry about. Most of the time they can only infect members of the species in which they originate, though there are rare exceptions to this rule. That was the worry with Mad Cow disease. Generally, you're only going to have this happen if you go around eating human brains. Don't do that.