A zombi virus may not be at the top of your list of potential apocalypses , but I think we can all agree that it would breastfeed to get caught unprepared . alas , we are . As prove by uncounted picture , TV shows , and novel , society is woefully unready to deal with an infectious , flesh - eating horde .
That , at least , is the conclusion of Kent State University epidemiologist Tara Smith , in atotally serious compeer - reexamine paperpublished in the Journal of BMJ . After summarize our limited aesculapian knowledge on the epidemiology , handling and bar zombie infection , Smith argues that much more enquiry and funding is want if social club is to have any promise of mobilize a timely and in force public health response . decent now , a zombi eruption would leave us — no pun mean — utter in the water .
Still , the first step toward set society to plow with any epidemic is public education . So in the interest of making us all a bit safer this holiday time of year , I ’ve given Smith ’s integral ( two Thomas Nelson Page ) enquiry paper a decisive read and sum up some key fact about the living dead . Consider it your belated New Years ’ PSA .
Transmission : Zombie viruses are typically impart by human bite , although some outbreaks have been associate to insect vectors — mostnotably bedbugs — as well as weaponized bacteria . ( Smith mention theunforgettable caseof the zombie outbreak on the Titanic , which was triggered by an aggressive , bioengineered song of the bubonic plague . )
symptom : Shambling pace , red ink of manual dexterity , release of spoken communication , guttural growling , necrotic physique , bitterness , heady disregard for personal safety . You know it when you see it .
bar : The best way to avoid zombie infection is to avoid other man . In the consequence of an eruption , you ’re counsel to seize your survival kit and get out of your city fast — although not by train or air . Ideally , you should seek to steer for mellow ground or the far north , as historical accounts show that zombie spirit do n’t fare well at sub - zero temperatures .
If you must stay in a city , see our listing of thebest city to survive the zombie apocalypse in .
mercy killing : On this matter , the skill is clear : only a headshot will do . Although a quiet artillery , like a pry bar , is obviously preferred to a gun .
intervention : Zombie infection have a very rapid onset , making post - infection discussion unmanageable , if not impossible . The most effective treatment method to appointment is rapid amputation of the afflicted area ( with a candid instrument , in a filthy holdout shelter ) . If you ’ve been bit on the neck opening or in the abdominal region , consider yourself have it off .
Vaccines : Zombie virus vaccinum are notoriously hard to develop , for two reason . One , governments rarely summon resources toward the effort until after society has gone to shit . Two , zombie researchers are usually traumatized , apart individuals with high-risk cases of PTSD . They tend to engage in reckless , self - destructive behavior , sometimes question whether it is worth trying to save a flawed humanity at all .
A word on rage zombies : revive corpses have been document for millennia , but so - called rage zombies are a recent , and very disturbing , trend . They were creditworthy for a devastating2002 epidemic in London , as well as a2010 outbreak in Iowa . Do n’t endeavor to be the zep and stop a large number of rage zombies . They ’re tight , vicious , and deadly in nearly 100 % of encounters .
[ understand the fullstudyat Journal of BMJ ]
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