BOSTON – A parasitic fungus that is more valuable than gold, and is nicknamed “Himalayan Viagra” due to its demand as an impotence cure, could vanish if current harvesting and climate trends continue, according to a study using data from four nations, including India.

The fungus, Ophiocordyceps sinensis, survives by preying on ghost moth caterpillars in the highest reaches of the Himalayas. Demand for the fungus as an aphrodisiac, impotence cure and remedy for the deadly SARS virus helped to jumpstart a global trade, researchers said.