Virus

Infections, Epidemics, and Plagues

Infections are caused by germs invading a host. Viruses and bacteria are examples of germs.

Rules governing zombie viruses

According to the Zombie Survival Guide :

• The zombie virus is spread when a zombie bites a human.
• When a zombie bites a person, that person may become infected.
• Whether a person bitten by a zombie becomes a zombie depends on that person's resistance to the zombie virus.
• Do zombie eventually die? It depends on how virulent the virus is.
• Can a zombie be cured? In some cases, yes. This is determined by the cure rate of the virus.
• How does a zombie virus become a class five (world-wide) infestation? It depends on the mobility of the zombie. Victims of the rage virus, documented in the films 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, were highly mobile, and so the virus quickly jumped from continent to continent. But victims of the virus documented in the film Night of the Living Dead were slow and so the infestation remained a mere class one, unable to spread beyond a few farms.

Why is it important to study zombies?

The rules governing zombie viruses are the same as the rules governing the spread of other viruses such as AIDS or H1N1. They also are the same rules that govern computer viruses, viral marketing campaigns, rumors, and the spread of religion.

Zombie Monitor

The Zombie Monitor allows users to model different types of viruses. Users control the contagiousness of the virus (how close to a zombie does one need to be before risking infection), the resistance to the virus (the probability that closeness to a zombie will cause an infection), the virulence of the virus (how long a zombie can survive), the mobility of the society (how far a turtle travels in one time click), the cure rate (the probability that a zombie can become healthy again.

Here's a screen shot:

Customize the Eco-0 framework to create the zombie monitor.

Use the shapes editor (tools/Turtle Shape Editor) to create your zombies: