Zombie Virus

A zombie virus can have different meanings, based on the context you are looking to explore

The internet is full of strange stories, which often tend to go viral. A relevant example is the posts on zombie viruses that are circulating across social channels. To get better clarity on this topic and to uncover the truth, let’s check out the details.

What is zombie virus?

A zombie virus can have different meanings, depending on what exactly you are looking for. Let’s take a look at some commonly used references for zombie viruses.

Zombie viruses from permafrost

If you are worried about a real virus that has potential to impact your health, it is likely that you are referring to the zombie virus from permafrost. These are essentially ancient viruses that scientists have revived from Siberian/Alaskan permafrost. These have been frozen in a dormant state for thousands of years.

There are fears that some of these viruses could infect humans. Due to climate change, the snow cover is reducing across the permafrost areas. This can lead to some of the viruses escaping and coming into contact with humans or other living beings. Such virus scenarios can be referred to as zombie viruses.

For context, one can look at around 13 viruses that were revived from Siberian permafrost in 2022-23. One of these was around 48,500 years old, which could be classified as a zombie virus for reporting purposes. Talking about the risks, the viruses revived by scientists are unlikely to pose any real danger. However, experts argue that an unknown virus can emerge from the reducing permafrost and infect humans.

Real-life examples of such incidents already exist. For example, a 2016 Siberian anthrax outbreak was linked to thawed reindeer carcasses. Around 2,000 reindeers were infected and one child was killed in this incident. Scientists have also found traces of smallpox/Spanish flu in permafrost remains.

There are concerns about Arctic mining and drilling, which could release previously unknown viruses. However, with modern treatment systems and failsafe quarantine techniques, a zombie apocalypse like situation is unlikely to occur.

Existing viruses known to cause zombie-like behavior

One doesn’t need to search the permafrost to find a zombie virus. There are viruses already known to us, which cause zombie-like symptoms. A relevant example is the Rabies virus (family Rhabdoviridae), which is the original zombie virus. This virus travels to the brain, where it causes various symptoms such as aggression, hydrophobia (fear of water), hypersalivation, confusion, and biting behavior.

The Rabies virus is spread through the saliva of the infected entity. Rabies is nearly 100% fatal once symptoms appear. Rabies can take weeks to months to fully activate. An aggressive zombie-like behavior is noted in around 70-80% of the cases. Death toll globally from Rabies is around 59,000 per year. Other microorganisms known to create zombie-like symptoms include Toxoplasma gondii (parasite), Ophiocordyceps, etc.

Fictional zombie virus

It is also possible that you could be referencing to zombie viruses that we have seen in several zombie movies. These are inspired by real-life viruses, but the portrayal is usually very extreme. In movies, this zombie virus is shown turning humans into flesh eating entities.

Some of the popular movies based on the zombie virus include Night of the Living Dead, 28 Days Later, World War Z, Resident Evil (T-Virus), The Last of Us and Z Nation. We also have several games built around zombie viruses such as Left 4 Dead, Resident Evil, etc.

As is evident from above, there can be various contexts for the zombie virus. We have covered most of the commonly used references to the zombie virus. We hope this answers your query in the desired manner.