Mummy No!!!

Not to be confused with intentional Egyptian mummies, the mummies were buried and consequently unearthed in Mexico from a sealed crypt back in the 1860s. The mummies were well preserved, some still having hair and the original clothing they were buried in, which is quite a big deal considering how quickly a body and its organic accessories will degrade when left exposed to really any form of life. The mineral rich environment of the crypts is what has been attributed to how well the mummies were preserved, of course, in addition to the crypts being sealed.

Sealed crypts are especially interesting because, as long as the moisture content of the crypt (not necessarily of the items within the crypt unless there is a pool or something) is relatively low, any organic material is just going to dry out and the damage to said material will be minimal. Yes, "organic material" does include bodies of the deceased in this case.

So, what's the problem? Our dear little live friend, fungus appeared on one of the mummies and appears to have spread to some of the others. As you know, fungi don't need a lot to survive, some don't even require light and can go dormant for years when their needs are not met. That seems to potentially be what occurred in this case; a dormant fungus may have awoken in the correct environment, but again, until the fungus can be tested, scientists are not entirely sure what it is and where it came from. Just as easily, the mummies could have been exposed in transit, as fungal spores are able to travel through air and water. So, it is just as feasible that the mummies were contaminated while on display in another country and when they were returned to Mexico improper sealing of their display case could have allowed the fungus to proliferate.

Is this a concern for the public? As of right now, yes. As of right now, since not much is known about what type of fungus is growing on the mummies the institute at which they are currently displayed is hesitant to allow them to be transported much less for the public to interact with them. If the cases are not air-tight and the fungus in question is aggressive and able to infect live people, that could be a whole separate outbreak related issue that could have been avoided. We know you're waiting for the other "The Last of Us" shoe to drop, but if anything, exposure to this fungus could result in an infection that could potentially require hospitalization, not zombies. The more you know.

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