How Come Theres Not Dead Animals Everywhere
Why Don't Animals Turn into Zombies in 'The Walking Dead'?
Animals do not turn into zombies — simply humans practise. At least, that seems to be the rule and then far in AMC'southward sci-fi zombie thriller, "The Walking Expressionless" (which arrogance Sundays at nine p.m. EST/8 p.m. CST).
The characters in the show have now survived the zombie apocalypse for many years and are striving to build self-sustaining communities. This development has fabricated sure animals, peculiarly mules and horses, valuable creatures to have around.
But, at least then far, none of the characters seem concerned that the horses could turn into enormous, galloping, human-eating zombies anytime soon. [nine Reasons Nosotros Take an Undying Involvement in the Undead]
We don't know for sure what kind of pathogen causes the zombie illness — it could be bacterial, viral, fungal, protozoan or maybe even something from outer space that humans have never seen before (this is sci-fi, after all). However, certain events in the serial suggest it's a virus that's causing the zombie outbreak, such equally when the characters larn that everyone turns into a zombie when they dice, whether or not they were ever bitten by one.
And then, if this virus is so widespread, how is it possible that simply humans are afflicted by it?
"Some viruses are very species-specific," said Tara Smith, a microbiologist and infectious disease epidemiologist at Kent Land Academy in Ohio. For example, measles and small pox, she said. "Humans seem to be the simply host for those, they don't spring species."
Merely of course, not all viruses are limited to a single species.
"One of the ways nosotros think Ebola may have spread into people, especially the 2014 West African people, was contact with bats or potentially eating bats, we're not 100 percent sure," Smith said. "Either way, bats seem to the reservoir, but they don't seem to be afflicted by information technology. It's not symptomatic in them, but it causes huge symptoms in humans."
And, that's true for other viruses, too, such as hantavirus, Smith said. Rodents carry hantavirus in the western United States and when they poop, their droppings dry and the virus becomes aerosolized, then people breathe in the virus and become infected.
It'southward possible the zombie virus in "The Walking Dead" works in the same way, Smith said.
On the other mitt, the virus could affect a few select groups of animals, "like influenza viruses," she said. "Some flu viruses can affect a broad range of species, and we saw that with H1N1 outbreak in 2009."
The H1N1 flu, also known every bit swine influenza, is a respiratory infection that started in pigs and became a pandemic in the U.s. in 2009. The virus is nonetheless widespread and continues to show up seasonally, according to the Centers for Disease Command and Prevention.
In season iv of "The Walking Dead," the characters had made their shelter in a prison and started raising pigs. Only the pigs got sick then did the humans. It could have been swine influenza — we never learn if the humans gave a virus to the pigs or if it was the other style around, but anyone who defenseless the illness didn't survive. [5 Essential Swine Influenza Survival Tips]
The pigs didn't appear zombified, though, and so far, none of the other animals we've seen in the show have either.
"So, whatever it is, information technology still seems to be human specific, otherwise you lot would expect to see zombie animals," Smith said.
"Viruses typically have a tropism — that means they can simply bind to certain types of cells," Smith said. "Sometimes the protein they take that would demark to cells might exist ubiquitous to all animals or all mammalian species, or it tin can be really specific."
Equally an expert in infectious diseases, Smith has found herself writing and talking about hypothetical zombie epidemics a few times in the past. She said her tips for avoiding a zombie pathogen are the same for any real pathogen: Wash your hands, cook meat thoroughly and avoid cuts or lacerations when butchering animals. In full general, "you want to avoid equally much blood contact every bit possible," she said.
Other than Daryl's new dog, it doesn't seem like the survivors on "The Walking Dead" accept pets, and there are only a few domestic livestock animals, but yet, Smith recommends they "try to minimize time spent in close contact with [their] animals." For the well-nigh part, make sure animals and people stay separated, she said. "That mode, if in that location is an outbreak, at least yous take some separation between your animals and the people."
Grab "The Walking Dead," on Sundays at 9 p.chiliad. EST/viii p.thou. CST on AMC.
- The 9 Deadliest Viruses on Earth
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Originally published on Live Science .
Kimberly has a bachelor's degree in marine biology from Texas A&M University, a master'due south caste in biology from Southeastern Louisiana University and a graduate certificate in science advice from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is a one-time reference editor for Live Science and Space.com. Her work has appeared in Inside Science, News from Science, the San Jose Mercury and others. Her favorite stories include those near animals and obscurities. A Texas native, Kim now lives in a California redwood wood.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/64114-animal-zombie-virus.html
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