• Question: If there was a zombie apocalypse, do you think it could of been caused by a change in DNA or something to do with brain cells? Also if one was to happen, what do you think would be the best way to survive the infected or cure them c: ?

    Asked by to Daryl, Amy, Anita, Nimesh, Sandra on 20 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by , , , .
    • Photo: Anita Thomas

      Anita Thomas answered on 20 Jun 2014:

      Hi wearealinfected,

      My understanding of Zombies is that they have a viral infection of the brain (or the sheath of brain cells). Unfortunately, I still can’t answer your question! You see, viruses are tricky entities! When a virus enters a cell, it takes it over. If it enters a brain cell, it uses the brain’s machinery to reproduce itself inside each individual cell. And so you see, it is both something to do with brain cells and something to do with (the virus) changing the DNA.

      Antibiotics don’t work on viruses, so we would need to use anti-viral (like anti-HIV) medication on people who are Zombies. We would need to work on a vaccine to protect un-infected people.

      Fun question!
      Anita.

    • Photo: Daryl Jones

      Daryl Jones answered on 20 Jun 2014:

      Hi! LOVE your questions.

      Yes, i definitely think it would be something to do with brain cells, because the only thing that can kill a zombie is destroying the brain, therefore the brain must be the source of the zombie-disease!!

      I would like to think that a mutation that is infectious (think of mad cow disease…that’s a brain disease that is infectious!) causes zombie-ness!

      The best way to survive- well, I love zombie movies, so i think the best way to survive would be to get to a big supermarket and barricade all the doors, and get guns, or crossbows, or something to kill them with! And then wait out the apocalypse from there! Because you’d have lots of food, too!! I would sit on the roof and shoot all the zombies from up there. As a scientist though, I would have to go and get a zombie and take his brain and study it, to work out why he’s a zombie. Once i did that, i could then try to cure it! Maybe if it’s a genetic mutation, I could reverse the mutation!!

    • Photo: Amy Monaghan

      Amy Monaghan answered on 26 Jun 2014:

      Weareallinfected – what a great question. Sorry to take so long to answer it but I was trying to think of the best way.

      I think if there were zombies it would probably be caused by an infection in the brain. Actually some of the worst diseases are caused by “prions” which are found in the brain – some cannibal tribes in the rainforest catch these diseases (similar to mad cow disease) by eating the brains of dead tribes people or prisoners!!!

      I think the best way to survive a zombie apocalypse would be to make sure you took any vaccination or medicine available to prevent the disease, and then head to the pub like they do in Shaun of the Dead (one of my favourite films). The best advice would be Don’t Panic. Zombieland is another one of my favourite films and that has some other great advice on how to survive 🙂

      The best way to treat the zombies would probably be some kind of drug treatment that attacked the virus causing the disease – maybe similar to the new DRACO treatment scientists are developing to fight viruses. We’d probably have to deliver it through some kind of dart gun though to keep ourselves safe!!!

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