‘’We are now discovering that we are more powerful against flu and herpes. Now, mushrooms have other properties which are interesting. There is a group of Cordyceps mushrooms known as intimata pathogenic fungi. Fungi kill insects. Insects go through soils and Cordyceps are a source of cyclosporine. Moreover, just recently, the FDA approved Novartis for a new anti MS drug called Qi Lenya which is predicted to be one of the most profitable commercially produced drugs in the history of medicine. But Cordyceps are a mold which has a mold stage within. They are two faces of the same organ. This is a profound implication for diseases control from malaria to yellow fever and the West Nile Virus. So, what can we do? There’s a lot that we can do. We can now control disease vectors and zoonotic diseases carried by insects across landscapes, since so many insects and arthropods vectors diseases like H5N1 are carried by bird flies, which most of you may not know. 

This is not widely reported but because of climate change, subtropical diseases are now entering into temperate zones. Being able to control zoonotic pathogens will have a positive impact on helping habitats and humans dwelling within those habitats. Moreover, insects and arthropods now transmit diseases that afflict humans and plants, so the implications of this discovery is absolutely enormous.’’ (-Paul Stamets)