Ground Zero: The infection that ended society. How Did it Start?

[HaveCrowBarWillTravel]

Hey Figz,

What's your counter argument..sorry, counter point, about it not being Airborne? Humans as the vectors makes it transmitted by fluid doesn't it?
Can you please expand on your comment?

Thanks

[mastafigz]

Hey Figz,

What's your counter argument..sorry, counter point, about it not being Airborne? Humans as the vectors makes it transmitted by fluid doesn't it?
Can you please expand on your comment?

Thanks

I mean that, it's possible, that people can be immune to it while it's just an airborne contaminent, but once it's inside a host who isn't immune, it evolves and can be passed along through biting.

[Grognaurd]

I posted something similar in the chapter 22 thread

If the causitive agent was airborn, I would expect to see a Plume. It would be a foci that spreads outwards ever dispersing in the wind.

It could be there was no wind. Or, it could be a bunch of zombies radiating outwards.

[7oddisdead]

Airborne virus would be an interesting angle. Also, many bacteria react only to certain conditions and not others..it is fully possible to have an airborne bacteria virus remain dormant until given the proper environment to begin growing,breeding, multiplying .... I deal with this on a daily basis. So in my opinion you would only need the initial reaction at the source (ground zero) to start the wave outward. And if the catalyst is something that only you can control....well, there you go

[HaveCrowBarWillTravel]

70DD,

Wouldn't a micro organism not disperse after a while? Direct contact with the initial dispersal agent would cause the immediate area to become infected through inhalation (it's Locus) but anything after that would have to be caused by a mutation of the infection itself in the victims.


The agent itself would become victim of the elements and become impotent before evaporation or dying correct? Humidity, wind strength/direction, sun exposure


Doesn't the amount of Microns also have something to do with it?

One point about Victor being affected after Pegs. Physical health/condition plays a big part in resistance. Victor was in a better environment than the tower inhabitants. I'm just assuming that he's not only going to be bigger, but in better shape than Pegs.

Ground Zero (Crowbar's Hypothosis)

Well, from the sound of it, the symptoms displayed sounds just like those that radiation poisoning causes. A few of the early symptoms are nausea and vomiting.
- Stuff in the area would still be irradated. Cars, buildings, the ground...

On the other hand, having allergies to all kinds of unknown plant spores, it really sounds.. feels like spores are still hanging around. Them traveling would kick up dust and pollen which would cause all kinds of biological stuff to start going wrong with them. It sounded like their respiratory systems were compromised.

[HaveCrowBarWillTravel]

I mean that, it's possible, that people can be immune to it while it's just an airborne contaminent, but once it's inside a host who isn't immune, it evolves and can be passed along through biting.

Gotcha. I'm with you know. The pathogen's life cycle evolved in order to stay alive. Initial dispersal was by aerosol, then once it was inhaled its second function kicked in. It mutated and continues to mutate because it doesn't want to die.

[7oddisdead]

Crowbar
Your absolutely right. Whatever In the immediate area would be infected at point of contact. any other bacteria or what have you should die off. At that point whatever needed to be spread has been. Which would be why nobody (at least if I'm remembering correctly) is noted as turning after the fact. I'm fuzzy on that so don't hold me to that one...now lets say to activate the bacteria,virus whatever you needed something outside the environment or the host....radiation? basically think part one is my theory and part two is your theory...then a wave of undead spreads out...

[Rune]

OI vote against the virus being airborne because that would mean everyone alive now is immune,

In order to go from the scarred/ambling idiot zombies to the specialized class of zombie: the virus would have to undergo a rapid mutation.

I agree, airborn isnt very likely, unless it attack upon predispositions (not 2 zombification but something like... I dont know, green eyes or something, just putting out an idea of how it could work). Then I would effect only certain ppl from the air borne or water borne virus. But this would mean the virus would b different or at least more virile as a direct transfer and there is no mention of spontaneous changes, as you would expect at least a few ppl 2 notice. Which makes the air or water borne virus pretty much debunked. It would have to be direct transfer. Which implies multiple locations of infection 4 it to spread so quickly.

another thought with air borne it could have laid dormant in ppl until it was activated by some1. ie nano-tech machines absorbed into the blood. It would still require the predisposition to a certain genetic factor. This would mean that it was engineered, probably as a dooms day virus. Which would b a cool spin I think.

The mutation of the virus could b, and this is an old theory me and some friends have been throwing around about multiple variants from the same virus, that the virus reacts to different ppl in different ways. Burt with his 'The smarter you were in life' theory comes to mind. How ever it may be a family tree like thing. If you were bitten by this guy you will become this type of zombie due to the concentration of the virus (or the mutagen what ever it is).

[mastafigz]

Continuing with the theory of an airborne contaminent, what if the virus is actually gone from the air? One of the big arguments against the virus being airborne is that the virus would be gone. The virus doesn't need to be around anymore, it has served it's purpose. I think Pegs and Vic got sick due to slight radiation. I'm sure an explosion of that magnitude, in a place where a zombie virus is being created would leave some kind of toxic waste, thus making Vic and Pegs sick. I think assuming that they got sick from the virus is a miscalculation, and we need to assume that the two aren't related, if we are going to believe that the virus was spread by air. If the virus wasn't spred through the air, how else do you explain the explosions heard in Chapter 1?

[Wicked Sid]

I had a theory a little while ago that the explosions were actually Radon Labs' way of trying to contain the contaminant before it became too widespread. They could have been trying to destroy an escaped patient zero and their recently turned first exposures.

It could always be a bacterium with a viral infection to create a two-stage infectant (Bacteria for easiest transmission, viral for the staying power). After the initial bacteria enters the system, it dies off. Leaving the virus to infect surrounding cells; using them for mitosis, mutation and energy (as many viral infections do).