The Nature of the Zombie Disease.

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Permalink Reply by Komrad Venessa Wicked☭ on September 18, 2009 at 10:43pm

1. Virus
The term "zombie virus" can be applied to a wide spectrum of virii. We're going to look at three types of viruses; Real Viruses, which exist, Fictional Viruses, which are worst case scenario "possible" viruses, and Fantasy Viruses, which are so far fetched that they either aren't worth considering, or fall far enough into the realm of "magic" that they need to be ignored in order to avoid opening a can of worms.

A. Real Viruses
Zombie viruses already exist. It's not a government conspiracy. There are cases reported every day, and it's fairly likely that the symptoms of some of these virii were used or compiled into early concepts of Zombies.

i. Rabies

Rabies is a species of the genus "Lyssavirus", which is based off the Greek root meaning "frenzy". These are RNA viruses characterized by their bullet shape and spines. Lyssavirus-Rabies frequently causes foaming at the mouth, but this is not always present.

The most common manifestation of Lyssavirus-Rabies is a zombie virus. It controls your thoughts, it makes you aggressive and wild, it's hard to detect in early stages, and the infection is so gradual that the victim often doesn't notice until it's far too late. It's highly contagious through bite and blood. Infected people are delirious, can make horrible screaming noises until their vocal chords bleed, and will lash out and attack everyone around, even failing to recognize loved ones. There are tens of thousands of cases per year, with many reported in South East Asia. Rabies was a tremendous problem everywhere until a vaccine was developed.

This immunofluorescent micrograph reveals a positive result for the presence of rabies virus antigens in this specimen. Rabies can also come in a "paralytic" form, which causes the victim to become quiet and withdrawn. Combined with injuries from an attack, it's easy to mistake an infected and highly contagious creature as simply "injured". While rabies from rodent bite is extremely uncommon in areas with advanced and widespread medical treatment, many of us have been instructed not to go anywhere near injured squirrels or other rodents because of the possibility of rabies.

Transmission has occurred via aerosol through mucous membranes, meaning it may be possible to transmit through sneezing or coughing very hard on someone who's currently inhaling, but it's not currently categorized as an airborne disease, and it would have to be an incredibly disgusting sneeze in order to pass this way.

ii. Ebola
A severe, typically fatal hemorrhagic fever that affects humans and primates. This virus was first recognized in 1976 and named after a river in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire). Ebola is one of two existing filoviridae (along with Marburg virus). Ebola is currently available in four known flavors: Ebola-Zaire, Ebola-Sudan, Ebola-Ivory Coast (aka Ebola-Tai), and Ebola-Reston, the fourth of which has only ever caused disease in nonhuman primates.

The origin of this virus is unknown. As far as research can tell, it spontaneously came into existence 30 years ago, however it's very probable that this disease has been around for hundreds if not thousands of years and simply hasn't been able to spread enough to be noticed. The incredibly high rate of infection and fatality makes it very easy to detect and prevent spread in small societies. Turned loose on a dense population, this could very easily spell the end of a city. If for example Ebola-Zaiere was deployed in New York City, only a few hundred thousand would survive out of the population of over 8 million. This would make the Black Plague look like a summer cold.

B. Fictional Viruses

Fictional viruses do not exist, or have not been discovered, but may theoretically already exist or may be manufactured or bioengineered or mutate from existing viruses. We do need to consider limitations, as a virus that's "too good" will extinguish themselves, but we want to push these limits as much as possible. These are the viruses OZORT focuses on, because if we can handle a worst case scenario, we can handle any of the more likely cases.

i. Lyssa X (Lyssavirus X)
A fictional virus based on a mutation of the Lyssavirus-Rabies. Lyssavirus X's primary mutation is a much shorter incubation period, causing the person to become contagious within a week or two, rather than several months. The faster incubation also results in a shorter lifespan. Normal rabies infects within 2 weeks to 2 years, and is fatal at the end. Lyssa X incubates within a few days.

ii. Filonecrosis
Filonecrosis is a fictional third member of the Filoviridae family, along with the Ebola Virus and the Marburg Virus. Causes severe hemorrhagic fever, bleeding from every orifice, and necrosis. Necrosis is characterized by the death of cells and living tissue. Ebola typically incapacitates the organs, causing internal bleeding. Filonecrosis instead causes failure of the lymphatic system first, causing the skin to turn black or grey, rot, and slough from the infected victim. A person with this condition is extremely contageous, as the entire outside of their body is essentially covered in the virus. The virus itself doesn't cause violence or psychosis, though would likely cause extreme shock as the persons eyes and face begin to rot while still allowing them the strength to walk around. In this sense, it would behave similar to an extreme version of Leprosy. Contact with infected will likely cause hysteria, overreaction, and possible dangerous or irrational behavior from infected individuals that may lead to further infection, and should be handled in the same way as Leprosy is currently handled: Separate, Isolate, Destroy.

C. Fantasy Viruses

We're not going to spend much time talking about these, as they're medically impossible, but it's important to know what's impossible so you know how far to draw the line for possible. This would include viruses that make humans able to fly, or control water with their minds, that impart supernatural powers beyond simply enhanced senses, or any sort of magic that allow corpses to move around like puppets on a string in the same way an animated skeleton or nature-golum would move around. Works great in movies, and gives us a good "worst case scenario", but can't happen without magic.

i. Solanum
A fictional virus invented by Max Brooks (the son of Mel Brooks, director of "Spaceballs" and "Blazing Saddles"), and featured in his book "The Zombie Survival Guide" and probably in his upcoming book "World War Z". Max Brooks identifies this as a "Real" virus which causes evolution on the cellular level and allows muscles to flex without the use of ATP, oxygen, or blood flow. This is the result of attempting to justify an existing fantasy by stretching reality as far as possible. Its primary value is in its "it can't possibly get any worse" factor. Solanum is based heavily on the "Night of the Living Dead" movies, by George Romano, which features a radioactive space virus from the planet Venus.
ii. T-Virus

Featured in Resident Evil, and virtually identical to the Romano zombies. Much like Solanum, the T-Virus is capable of reanimating dead tissue, and again produces zombies capable of surviving under water. Zombies with the T-Virus have no nerve sensation at all, and a complete loss of memory of their former lives. This virus also seems capable of infecting dogs. In the real world, most viruses that can affect dogs also can affect cats, foxes, bears, and other similar mammals, which would be, for lack of a better word, a goddamn nightmare. Highly aggressive predatory zombie humans are one thing, but zombie bears and zombie squirrels are a whole new realm of hell.

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Permalink Reply by Komrad Sunyak on September 26, 2009 at 3:20pm

In the original NOTLD, the "venus probe returning to our atmosphere carring high levels of radiation" is listed as the only cause for the epidemic. Komrad Rhino, I see you have noticed this as well.

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Permalink Reply by Komrad Kolossus on October 13, 2009 at 4:34am

In night of the living dead it was radition, in return of the living dead it was a top secret gas called 245 Trioxin, well really it was a canister which contained one of the reanimated bodies which had filled the small space with the gas as it sat and waited to be released. in resident evil its a virus that "accidently" gets out. Several religions believe that one day the dead will return and walk the earth some, the thoughts change on wheather the dead are good ( like from the mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, where you are to pay omage *spelling* to your long past anicestors) or bad ( like in chirstianity when hell can no longer take in souls so they are returned to earth). I strongly think it will be a combination of both a man made attack and a higher power defualt ruling either way when it comes down to it i think the ones who sit and try to figure out the how and why are more then likely the ones that will cost the safety of the group as a whole.

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Permalink Reply by KOMRAD RHINO☭ on October 13, 2009 at 6:10pm

i to have studied religious material. and when i studied it, i saw nothing that gave an indication that the reunion between man and the dead would be either good or bad. but one must keep in mind that when these literatures were made, people were burned as heritics for such a proficy. that is why i like to keep an open mind on this stuff and be prepared. in fact. when i think about it. the only religious material that comes close to predicting a good or bad outcome is in the belief of voodoo. i remember the passage well because George A. Romero used part of it in his "Dawn of the Dead" movie in 1978. i believe the passage went something like this.

"When the well of souls goes dry. And when there is no more room in Hell. the dead shall walk the earth. and the age of man shall be no more."

when i read this as a young man, that alone told me to prepare for the apocolypse to come.

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Permalink Reply by Komrad Kolossus on October 14, 2009 at 12:55am

as I read your reply it made me think of the semi-classic 80's movie Night of the comet, basiclly a comet destorys most to all life on earth minus a few survivors who were surrounded by the steel safely and some who weren't. it is the ones who weren't surround or in an enclosed area that turn into flesh eating zombies.

now back to why i starting typing this reply,

Could it be that the catalyst that starts Z-day in fact be something not of this earth that starts off a chain reaction in the reanimation of the already dead, and from that a virus ( or the realease of one... even possible a "cure" for the comet). Leaving us the few survivors to have to deal with not only the undead but three different categories of living dead. Now granted sub-species type A (for lack of a better current name) would be those from the comet or other non-earth based cause would eventually die out, I believe it was rain that finished them off in the movie night of the comet. While Sub-Species type B would be their gnawed upon victims which would of course live somewhat longer but to try to predict their full undead life span would be foolish this early. Sub-Species C would of course be the masses that were infected by the either "cure" or pathogen that developed from Sub-Species A/B.

Of course I could be wrong, but I rather not risk it either way myself

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Permalink Reply by Scatoma on October 13, 2009 at 7:19pm

Why do the embalmed reanimate in movies where you have to destroy the brain to kill the zombie? I thought they removed the organs, including the brain.
Surely everybody can agree that it will take a little "magic" to bring back the dead. "Zombie CSU" by Johnathan Maberry is a book that has this all broken down like I have never seen before. He has tons of experts involved in this study, including Romero. I have already said this once, but this book should be mandatory for all Wicked members. Anybody that has responded to this discussion will be more than sucked in to this guys work. Blame me if you do not like it. He also wrote "Patient Zero." Which rules too.

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Permalink Reply by KOMRAD RHINO☭ on October 17, 2009 at 4:20pm

the only time i saw a autopsied zombie reanimate was in the remake of Night of the Living Dead made in 1990. it was the shot where Barbara (Patricia Tallman) was attacked in the cemetary. she saw a man walking toward her in a slow manner but as he approched, his clothing dropped to show where the autopsy cuts. other then that. i never saw a "embalmed" zombie. but just for the info brother. not all bodies go through an autopsy. if the death is obvious, they leave the body alone and turn it over to the funeral home the family wants it at. so i imagine that a zombie from that type of incident can reanimate dispite the embalming process.

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