TheBritish Medical Journalhas released an illuminating , peer - review subject on zombie as part of their Christmas 2015 edition . These undead troublemakers are complex creatures , with varying method of contagion . As the report states , they have become a “ dominant part of the medical landscape painting , ” and so have to be considered cautiously . It ’s in all likelihood deserving pointing out that this study is unquestionably tongue - in - cheek , and references both zombie fiction and real - life pathogens .
In fiction , the basic premise of azombieis that their related computer virus is chiefly pass on through the mixing of septic somatic fluids with non - infected blood , normally through a bite . Althoughreanimated corpseshave been observe to date back centuries , these slowly - moving , decomposing disease carriers have been eclipsed somewhat by the emergence of the “ rage ” zombi . Fast - moving , and with the infection possibly airborne in some case , these are a far more prompt threat to human populations .
An extremely far-famed outbreak of rage zombiesdecimated London back in 2002 – at least in the humans of film – which conduct to the quarantine of the entire British Isles . This zombifying virus caused severe hemorrhaging , and was , in fact , a modified version of theEbola virus .
Image credit : “ Om nom nom ” is the only thought go through a zombie ’s brain . RAYBON / Shutterstock
Regardless of the eccentric of zombi , the brooding period – the time between initial contagion and the visual aspect of symptom – appear to be highly varying in the film , rate from simple seconds to days . During this period of clip , the infected may clinically pall then reanimate , or they may remain animated and only become highly fast-growing and cannibalistic .
The contagion mechanics appears to also be quite varying . Although most zombies transmit the virus through biting , transmitting via insects , fauna , and a particularlyunusual conditionthat do everyone – regardless of whether they have been sting or not – to revive as a zombi after last have also been follow . Fortyspecies of mosquitos in the existent human beings are already creditworthy for spreading virus , including theWest Nile Virus , so the transmission of a zombifying computer virus is n’t too implausible .
Zombification is not only induced by viruses , though . The most late candidate for inducing many types ofzombie - like behaviorin hosts is in fact a real fungus : Cordyceps , ground mostly in tropical , humid regions in Asia , is known to taint a mixture of insect and takes over their nervous system . In the case of ants , the fungus causes them to mount up vegetation before erupt a spore - cast spike through their head , which aid spread the fungus to more ants .
Containment of an outbreak of zombies always appear to beincredibly difficult . As is common in pic , even when the zombie or zombie pathogen is contained within a laboratory , haphazard safety protocols always seem to result in the contagion getting outside . If you find that you do ask to defend yourself from zombie , a separatenumerical modeling studysuggests that you should channelize formountainous regions – and use your brains before they get eat on .
“ The literature reviewed showed a phone number of originative ways to stop zombies,”Dr . Tara Smith , an associate professor atKent State Universityand source of the cogitation , told IFLScience . “ During the Zombie Wars , a ' lobotomizer ' was make to take out zombi , fundamentally a combination spadeful / battleaxe . If you do n’t have one of those on hired hand , a baseball squash racquet , axe , sword , or even a large tree branch can be used . ”
As for what zombies have got to do with Christmas ? “ They ’re probably about as welcome at the dinner party table as many readers ’ in - police , ” Dr. Smith add .
