Posted: 5/28/2009 1:35:43 AM EDT
| How about the possibility of the zombie virus being transmitted to humans (and other animals) via mosquitoes? How would you handle this problem? |
| Hmm..zombie mosquitoes...malaria and other bugs can be transmitted through mosquitoes. I did a quick google search on if HIV can be spread through mosquitoes and found these links. http://www.lawestvector.org/can_mosquitoes_transmit_aids.htm http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~insects/aids.htm I would imagine mosquitoes would be able to pass a zombie virus. For protection, only thing I can think of is wearing tall boots, long thick gloves, heavy clothing and maybe like a bee keepers hat. I know deet doesnt keep all mosquitoes off. Looks like i need a BOL out in the hill country.... |
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When the zombie reanimates, blood is no longer pumped through the body and will pool in the legs and lower extremities. I would assume it would also begin to clot and coagulate as well. That means that most of a zombie's body wouldn't have a lot of blood to offer for a mosquito. Plus I don't think it would make for a real appetizing meal either. I don't think i've ever seen a mosquito try to feed off of a dead animal before, but then again i've never really looked all that closely.
A recently infected member of the living bitten by a mosquito could be a real problem, but it's unlikely. The virus would have to be ingested by the mosquito, live and multiply inside the mosquito, and then infect the mosquitoes salivary glands. I think the real problem would be biting flies. That's how equine infectious anemia is spread, and could be a means for the virus to spread when nothing but well armed arfcommers are still alive. And man are there gonna be a lot of flies. Here, read this. |
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Quoted:
When the zombie reanimates, blood is no longer pumped through the body and will pool in the legs and lower extremities. I would assume it would also begin to clot and coagulate as well. That means that most of a zombie's body wouldn't have a lot of blood to offer for a mosquito. Plus I don't think it would make for a real appetizing meal either. I don't think i've ever seen a mosquito try to feed off of a dead animal before, but then again i've never really looked all that closely. A recently infected member of the living bitten by a mosquito could be a real problem, but it's unlikely. The virus would have to be ingested by the mosquito, live and multiply inside the mosquito, and then infect the mosquitoes salivary glands. I think the real problem would be biting flies. That's how equine infectious anemia is spread, and could be a means for the virus to spread when nothing but well armed arfcommers are still alive. And man are there gonna be a lot of flies. Here, read this. It all really depends on what type of virus and if there are any animal reservoirs and a insect vectors. I knew there was a reason I took Virology 4575. |
| You know, I hadn't encountered this question in my extensive research on Zombies. In an early post I mentioned that it would be very difficult to generate as many zombies as there are usually in the beginning of most Zombumentaries. The mosquito/biting fly scenario makes sense: If the undead are bitten BEFORE dying, they take the condition to their graves... then, a few days later, are reanimated in full zombie status. |
Something about this thread is confusing to me. While I'm not discounting the mosquito / biting fly in the contamination of the living, I think we're missing something about how the "already dead - dead" are infected and reanimated. I'm unclear on how a virus or bacterium could infect and reanimated an already dead body, embalmed and buried in the ground. In many of the zombie documentaries, this appears to be a primary source of many of the original zeds. Which, of course, start looking for brainz and biting and eating the living, and........ Figuing this out my help us in determing a vector and reduce non-contact infection. |
| I think alot of the zombie movies aren't based on the premise that it is a virus. I think they act like it is a chemical agent that causes the bodies to regain some functions and the urge to kill living humans. In my opinion the virus theory is the more viable of the two, and does not lend itself to reanimating those already dead-dead that you were referring to. |
sorry guys but infected "Zombie like" people are not really zombies. so in all reality they would not be zombies because they are not dead/or reanimated just infected with a virus that makes them act in a unnatural manor hence "Zombie like" LMFAO we would all be screwed if it was just a virus cause that could be trasmited via biting insects. 
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