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[wierd]

fungi have already demonstrated the biological complexity necessary to zombify animal species. (insects are part of animalia.)

Something akin to ringworm that sends its mycelia deep into the peripheral nervous system, then follows those nerves back to the spine and then up into the brain would lend itself well as a potential zombie pathogen.

Viruses look neat to hollywood, but their genomes are small by necessity. Fungi on the other hand, bring exotic biochemistry and functional biological hardware to the table, and already have demonstrated real zombification powers.

The digestive action of the fungus on the host could well produce "rotting corpse like" features, and neurological changes from having the brain infiltrated by mycelial fibers could produce the aggressive behavior.  Being predominantly a skin infection (in the case of ringworm), having its victims claw into the skin of healthy humans would spread the contagion by direct introduction under the skin via the scratches. 

Early stages of infection would be terrifying, because behavioral changes would come much later, but symptoms of the skin and peripheral nervous system (like uncontrollable itching/burning sensations, causing people to scratch) would manifest early, leaving the poor host to have ample time to contemplate its fate.

If I were to engineer a zombie plague, bioengineered skin fungal infection (resistant to all major antifungal medications) would be my vector of choice, with genes harvested from the fungus that zombifies ants and other arthropods.


I think that could actually work.

[Tack]

Heh. The Last of Us style, modelled off the cordyceps? Or brainworms.

I didn't think about the necessary complexity of the pathogen.
Probably more likely than either viruses or procaryotes.

[Insanegame27]

I feel that if anyone ever wanted to enslave or destroy the world, these forums would be their first stop.

fungi have already demonstrated the biological complexity necessary to zombify animal species. (insects are part of animalia.)

Something akin to ringworm that sends its mycelia deep into the peripheral nervous system, then follows those nerves back to the spine and then up into the brain would lend itself well as a potential zombie pathogen.

Viruses look neat to hollywood, but their genomes are small by necessity. Fungi on the other hand, bring exotic biochemistry and functional biological hardware to the table, and already have demonstrated real zombification powers.

The digestive action of the fungus on the host could well produce "rotting corpse like" features, and neurological changes from having the brain infiltrated by mycelial fibers could produce the aggressive behavior.  Being predominantly a skin infection (in the case of ringworm), having its victims claw into the skin of healthy humans would spread the contagion by direct introduction under the skin via the scratches. 

Early stages of infection would be terrifying, because behavioral changes would come much later, but symptoms of the skin and peripheral nervous system (like uncontrollable itching/burning sensations, causing people to scratch) would manifest early, leaving the poor host to have ample time to contemplate its fate.

If I were to engineer a zombie plague, bioengineered skin fungal infection (resistant to all major antifungal medications) would be my vector of choice, with genes harvested from the fungus that zombifies ants and other arthropods.


I think that could actually work.

Case in point

[TheDarkStar]

fungi have already demonstrated the biological complexity necessary to zombify animal species. (insects are part of animalia.)

Something akin to ringworm that sends its mycelia deep into the peripheral nervous system, then follows those nerves back to the spine and then up into the brain would lend itself well as a potential zombie pathogen.

Viruses look neat to hollywood, but their genomes are small by necessity. Fungi on the other hand, bring exotic biochemistry and functional biological hardware to the table, and already have demonstrated real zombification powers.

The digestive action of the fungus on the host could well produce "rotting corpse like" features, and neurological changes from having the brain infiltrated by mycelial fibers could produce the aggressive behavior.  Being predominantly a skin infection (in the case of ringworm), having its victims claw into the skin of healthy humans would spread the contagion by direct introduction under the skin via the scratches. 

Early stages of infection would be terrifying, because behavioral changes would come much later, but symptoms of the skin and peripheral nervous system (like uncontrollable itching/burning sensations, causing people to scratch) would manifest early, leaving the poor host to have ample time to contemplate its fate.

If I were to engineer a zombie plague, bioengineered skin fungal infection (resistant to all major antifungal medications) would be my vector of choice, with genes harvested from the fungus that zombifies ants and other arthropods.


I think that could actually work.

This is simply terrifying.

[TheBiggerFish]

It is.

It is very terrifying.

[Insanegame27]

TheDarkStar needs to update his sig. I think this is far worse for your health than death.

[Jimmy]

Biological weaponry aimed at causing higher brain function decay doesn't really serve a useful purpose. You're essentially getting a weapon of mass destruction that is as indiscriminate as chemical weapons but fails to leave the area salvageable later. Why create zombies when you could just use a gas that would kill everyone instead?

In terms of biological and chemical weapons, Helgoland and I both gave detailed discussions of these possible agents on page 5. VX gas and phosgene gas are easily delivered by air and quite possible to manufacture in relevant quantities with today's technology, sarin gas and botulinum toxin are less reliable but also theoretically powerful options, and theoretical compounds based on onchidal could potentially be a viable alternative to all of the above.

A hypothetical cordyceps type zombie pandemic virus would theoretically only occur due to statistically improbable natural mutation, as no real scientist would bother attempting to weaponize this compound given there's no logical incentive to do so. That being said, fungal infection would be a powerful method of delivery, since we're relatively primitive at treating fungal infection pharmaceutically in comparison to the variety of antibacterial agents available.

[Insanegame27]

Why create zombies when you could just use a gas that would kill everyone instead?

Terrorism of the local populus

[ChairmanPoo]

Insects don't have an adaptative immune system. That's why fungi are so lethal against them. You don't find such pervasive infections in immunocompetent humans.

[Insanegame27]

Insects don't have an adaptative immune system. That's why fungi are so lethal against them. You don't find such pervasive infections in immunocompetent humans.

Do a double-whammy. Introduce AIDS to the local populus then do the zombie thing. With immunodeficiency, the aforementioned zombie bioplague would be much more effective

And I just got the feeling that thae Australian equivilent of NSA is watching this for some reason... Now I'm gunna be paranoid...

[Tack]

Yet we still get tinea...
Checkmate Mammals.

Yes, but HIV wouldn't spread nearly as effectively as the spores anywa-
... Via bite.
That is freaking dastardly.

Y'know, until all of your fungal-zombies start dying from Influ-A.
.... Which I guess also fixes your 'easy cleanup' issue too.

Edit:

Biological weaponry aimed at causing higher brain function decay doesn't really serve a useful purpose. You're essentially getting a weapon of mass destruction that is as indiscriminate as chemical weapons but fails to leave the area salvageable later. Why create zombies when you could just use a gas that would kill everyone instead?

It's all about making something which is able to self-proliferate. Such as Ebola or SARS.
This'd just be one better because each host would actively seek out new hosts to infect. If they act the same as modern cordyceps, then the end of their life cycle kills their host, and the beginning of the life cycle requires a host.
Meaning that once they've completely infected the human population in an area, it'll have iced its own transmission vector and be self-clearing, resulting in zero long-term damage.

[Jimmy]

And voilą!

Spoiler: Relevant (click to show/hide)

[ChairmanPoo]

But aids takes years to set in. You'd have to unleash Charlie Sheen on the target population long in advance of your biological attack.

[GiglameshDespair]

There's also the thing they could probably send a bioweapon back at you, depending on the length of the war, whether by weaponising it themselves or just smuggling sick people and samples into you own territory.
Now everyone can be sick.

What joy.

[Insanegame27]

But aids takes years to set in. You'd have to unleash Charlie Sheen on the target population long in advance of your biological attack.

You mean hundreds of charlie sheen clones? I mean, two-and-a-half men just got extremely lewd if put into this context.