# Zombies are real—just ask the parasites taking over the bodies and brains of insects and rodents

- Source: Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories
- Published: 2026-11-02T18:40:12+00:00
- Category: Science
- Original: https://phys.org/news/2026-11-zombies-real-parasites-bodies-brains.html
- Canonical: https://groundlevelnews.com/story/zombies-are-real-just-ask-the-parasites-taking-over-the-bodies-and-bra-e0b5e9/

Zombies have taken many forms in popular culture. In Michael Jackson's "Thriller" music video, corpses climb out of their graves and perform an impressively coordinated dance. In HBO's "The Last of Us," a fungus infects humans, takes over their bodies and turns them into hosts that help spread the infection. Even Plankton has tried his hand at taking control of another organism in "SpongeBob Squar

_Ground Level News shows a short summary only; the full article and all rights belong to Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories._