Unconfirmed Class 1 Whittier California

I faced a new challenge this week as I was presented with an outbreak to which I could find no further information.

On February 22, 2011 a name hit the forums of zombie enthusists looking for help. He believed he had encountered the walking dead or something like it. As one can tell this may not be the most reliable source, in fact it is a completely unreliable source. But not a lot of people will search out zombie experts claiming to have been part of an outbreak. Trust me, it's just not that common. So I decided to investigate further.

I breifly interviewed the man and his story is that he saw a man hunched over and breathing loudly and visibly as if he had just been running. He called out if the man needed help and the creature turned to face him. It had a bite wound on its arm which was red, swollen and besides bleeding was excreating some sort of green puss. He said the creatures face was contorted into a beastal anger and his nose was also bleeding and oozing green puss. The creature was grunting the witness said. He began to run and was followed by the creature who was discribed as trying to run but just hobbling. However when he lookd back to see how close it was, it was gone.

I looked into this as much as I could. Watching multiple news feeds from Whittier and LA nothing was mentioned. I scoured pictures looking for a corpse or assalant matching the creature's discription. White male in his 20's, black vest, blue jeans, white runners, clean hair cut. Nothing.

What I did find is a number of suicide cases in the last two weeks. I was able to find the details on three, including one double homocide, suicide but from what I was reading it sounded like there had been others. Not very special, especially considering it is suicide prefention week and the amount of people who live in LA. But what struck me as odd is all three suicides I was able to find details on had been done with firearms. Again not very odd considering firearms are quite common in the states and a fairly common choice when a person wants to leave this world. But also the most common choice when dealing with the undead. And an issue some zombie hunters have faced before the fall, is that local law enforcement does not accept zombies as real and as such treats a zombie death as a homocide.

The details breakdown-

Location: Los Angelus, United States of America

Time: 6:00PM, February 22, 2011

Infected: 1 (suspected)

Response: None

Media Coverage: None

My suggesion: I found no further evidence of this outbreak but some possible links. If you live in or around Whittier watch out for similar situations and if you encounter such a creature run, run as far and as fast as you can.

Stay vigilent, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate, Mike D.

Zombie Parasite

Hello fellow survivors,

Warning: if you are scared of bugs, or have a phobia of parasites or germs, or if you are just squeamish in general, or often feel like something is happening to you if you read about it, this may be a hard read.

I was recently studying parasites, the reason for this is actually quite simple, I am always looking for possibilities of how or why zombies exist. I leave it to others to argue the "if" they exist. We already know the answer to that.

I had heard about ants who actually attack and eat other ants because they are being controlled by parasites. So I began reading more into it and while I didn't find this specific parasitic relationship I did find a lot of scary information.

For instance, parasites cause many ants to make choices which lead to their deaths. This is only one of many examples in which the parasite does not kill the host directly but instead influences the host to make decisions which directly cause it to die. Such as a parasite which makes grasshoppers drown themselves or a parasite which not only grows in caterpillars but after the parasites grow too big and burst out of the caterpillar's body the caterpillar will spend it's dying days protecting the parasites as they continue to grow.

So parasites can do this to bugs, what can they do to humans? Parasites could potentially already be effecting human decisions. More on this later.

So take a step back and look at what a parasite is. A parasite is anything that lives off of a host causing harm to the host. Not all parasites kill the host and some even benefits the host more then they do harm but that is what a parasite is. So parasites can be a large number of things but most parasites are very small bugs. Some are even microscopic, viruses are in fact parasites, they insert their DNA into the host's DNA and change or kill it in that way. So some of the traits that apply to parasites could apply to a virus that evolves past it's simply destructive and reproductive nature into something that could actually effect the brain of it's host like many other parasites do. Here is a theory on multihost evolution of a parasite. It is just a theory but it's based on evolutionary facts and mathematics. The jist of the theory in case you don't want to read the math/jargon filled 15 pages is that a parasite evolves in a host, say a bug, until it reaches it's full potential in that host. Then it finds a way to transfer into a more complex host, say a rat. It further evolves until it can fully control the rat and can evolve no further so it transfers to another type of host. And so on and so on. In this way the parasite grows as a species and is the popular theory on how parasites get to the point where they can actually affect human moods and actions.

The real T-Virus - Toxoplasma gondii
Toxoplasma Gondii is one such parasite. The main host creature is a cat, domestic or wild. Cats show no particular symptoms so it is impossible to tell if a cat has been infected. Even your household cat could be infected and is constantly at risk of being infected. A cat picks up the parasite by eating an infected mouse. The parasite starts in cysts, these cysts grow inside the mouse; the parasite makes a mouse fearless and actually attracted to the smell of cat urine, therefore seeking out the urine, with the cat probably nearby. The now fearless, but not immortal mouse is killed and eaten by the cat and thus the parasite transfers to the next level of host. Now the T-virus has has not evolved (as far as science knows) to the point where it can control the cat and needs to move to another host but it can effect humans and is often transferred by accident. The parasite actually sexually reproduce inside the cat’s stomach than can be passed to other creatures through its waste. And thus can easily get into humans who contact Kitty Liter. Now this is the big part. Infected people show changes in personalities after being infected, males which were infected showed signs of aggression, jealously and suspicion, while interestingly, women seem to be more calm, relaxed and also have a raised IQ. Not to mention that Oxford Scientists believe roughly half of the human population is currently infected. The parasite does not seem to have much effect on the cats besides using them as a breeding ground but it can fully control rats and cause changes in humans. And the human and rat brains are very similar, thus why tests are done on rats. The issue is that toxoplasma gondii attacks the cells protecting neurons in the human brain and the failure of these cells is a known cause of schizophrenia. So it is not that much of a stretch to think the parasite could evolve to cause other changes in the human body and possibly cause even more severe actions, like potentially attacking other people. Especially considering the point of parasites is to evolve to spread and reproduce. Considering the T-virus is already effecting humans it would not be a stretch for it to continue to evolve in such a way. This is not the only parasite or disease to cause violence in humans: besides parasites, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Kratos disease and rabies can all cause a human to go mad and violently attack other humans with no seeming cause. Many crimes and violent acts may well have been committed by an otherwise normal person under the influence of toxoplasma gondii or another parasite or disease.

And maybe these diseases, viruses and parasites may take hundreds, thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years to evolve that far. But maybe they already have? The small isolated outbreaks could in fact be specific instances of the parasite learning to control the human and spread itself through bites and infection. And it is only a matter of time until the entire species evolves this far.

Also consider how many bioweapons are created every year. Stories of viruses that could wipe out entire continents in mere days. What is to say these weapons scientists are not already pushing parasites toward this sort of behavior. It is already well known that many bioweapons have been created by making parasites, viruses and bacteria even more deadly. Combine the idea of figuring out how to make the parasite control the brain and spread it's infection with the ability to revive the dead. Sounds like a perfect sleeper, or "lost" madman to unleash on an enemies country or corporation, with no connection to the people who released this parasite spreading zombie.

It is only a matter of time before a parasite gets to the point at which it's human host can be completely controlled, perhaps by killing the host and controlling the brain through impulses, and the infection needs to reproduce and pass to new hosts, the easiest way to pass would be through direct contact, openings in both bodies, like mouths and wounds, like a bite. This is of course if the parasite has not already gone this far and the human race is still playing catch up.

Stay ever vigilant, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.

Thy will be...

Sarah is the only survivor left in the conclusion to the short films.

Stay vigilent, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.

Vehicle Review: Pontiac Montana

There are so many minivans out there I figured I would do another to compare the last one to, 2002 Pontiac Montana

Automatic
Front-wheel drive
17 MPG
Top speed – 163km/h (101mph)
0-60 – 10s
Tank 94.6 liters (25 gallons)


Pros:
Decent speed
Lots of fuel
Lots of space
Reliable
Common

As mentioned before, not a lot changes between minivans and what applies to one often applies to all. So keep that in mind when deciding what vehicle to use. Many things will be consistant in each class of vehicle and some will change or stand out. As with most minivans this one has lots of fuel capacity and space for gear or passengers (or sleeping.) It has a decent speed for a minivan but nothing special and most other classes will beat it in speed. The best thing about the Montana is that it is a very common van and most mechanics will have worked on it and be some what familiar with it. Also what started as a flaw will actually prove useful to survivors. When this vehicle was first sent out almost every single one had an issue with the intake gasket. But what that means is that now, at least nine years later, any that are still running have had that problem solved and probably other things looked at by mechanics as well. This also adds to the chances that a mechanic has already worked on this type of van and will be familiar with it in a tight spot.

Cons:
Power
Low mileage

The downfalls of the Montana are those of most minivans, power and mileage. The power of this vehicle does not match it's size. It can tow another vehicle of roughly the same size under controlled circumstances but don't expect any amazing feats of power and strength out of it. Even for a minivan this van has low mileage, while better then SUVs and some trucks the mileage to speed or power ratio is quite low and you will be using a lot of gas travelling around ruined cities. On the highway this van actually has much better mileage, going as high as 23 mpg.

Over all this van is great for length of travel. Lots of room and comfort with a standard that most mechanics know well enough to work on outside of a shop. Plus that high mileage while highway driving is a very nice surprise. This vehicle is not perfect and wouldn't even be amoung the top choices, esspecially if the planned use includes a lot of urban travel. But it is a decent choice and will serve the needs of a medium sized group needing to relocate.

Good luck, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.

Two days later

Ritchie hears of hope on the radio only two days after Mike's death. He goes in search to bring it back believing that's what Mike would have done.

Messages of hope are almost always false, we can trust Ritchie's fate is almost as sure as Mike's had been.

Stay vigilent, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.

Shh! I was bit...

The right thing to do if you are biten.

Stay vigilent, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.

Vehicle Review: Ford Windstar

Getting around to doing another vehicle breakdown. This time is the 1998 Ford Windstar.

Automatic
Front-wheel drive
18 MPG
Top speed – 169km/h (105mph)
0-60 – 11s
Tank 94.6 liters (25 gallons)


Pros:
Decent speed
Lots of fuel
Lots of space
Quite

Now one thing that should be considered is this is a minivan and as such it is very similar to most other minivans. Not a lot changes between vans. The basics, lots of space for passengers and gear; always good. Also large gas tanks, able to hold roughly twice as much gas as a sedan, of course the van does use slightly more gas then a sedan so that doesn't mean you can go quite twice as far on one tank. The things unquice to the Windstar are its speed and sound, relatively fast compared to other minivans. The Windstar is also known for making less noise than most vehicles, esspecially when highway driving. This is an important thing to consider when trying to avoid drawing undead or living attention.

Cons:
Reliablity
Power
Low mileage
Standard

The Windstar unfortunately has some known problems, it is quite common for this sort of vehicle to have transmission issues which can make the van more or less useless to any but the most specifically equiped groups. Compared to other vans the Windstar is also about as lacking in power as it is ahead in speed which is to say not noticable unless directly compared to another minivan. In my mind anything under 20 mpg is bad mileage when fuel is going to become more and more scarce as time goes on after the fall. The Windstar unlike most Ford's is not very costumizable, very little besides the accessories of the car can be modded for speed or performance.

Over all this van is not one you want to rely on during the final days, because it will make them your final days. As part of a convoy or to quickly move for supply runs or the like this van makes the perfect tool but it should not be your primary vehicle or even if possible or secondary vehicle. If this van is used it should be for specific circumstances mentioned above, perfect for supply runs as it is quite and can carry a large amount of gear or people. Otherwise the best use of this vehicle is a place to take shelter for a night, storage space or syphoning gas.

Good luck, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.

Zombies in film: 28 Days Later

"Be Thankful For Everything, For Soon There Will Be Nothing..."

Director: Danny Boyle

Writer: Alex Garland

Produced: DNA Films, British Film Council

Story: A virus known as "Rage" is unleashed on the people of England by animal rights activists. 28 days later Jim wakes up from a coma in the end times. He bands together with a small group of survivors who grow and dwindle as the movie progresses. The survivors go to a military brigade which has managed to survive... by taking advantage of other survivors. As Jim attempts to save his fellow survivors he becomes just as brutal and terrifying as the infected they have all been running from.

Zombies: The infected in this film are often argued about as not being zombies because they can run and because they are not undead. To those people must be brought up, no one knows how the virus will spread or in what form. The zombies which have tormented mankind throughout history could very well change as the virus evolves into something even more terrifying. And terror is what these creature invoke. Heartless, relentless, brutal monsters, the pinicle of ravenous killing power within the human body tapped into and released. these infected are not traditional but they are no less possible and far more threatening.

Survival Lessons:

• Brutality is essential in some circumstances.
• Be careful of birds and other creatures which may carry the infection.
• The human need to protect others is sometimes more powerful (and self destructive) then any other emotion.
• Wear protective gear at all times, even when assumed to be safe.
• Do not trust every tale you hear about safety and supplies.
• Some survivors exist by feeding of other survivors. Be aware that any human could turn out to be one of these leaches.
• Choose your party members wisely.

Warnings: This is one of the few actually scary zombie movies. The film also has some very disturbing scenes of violence and sexual aggression (not involving zombies don't worry.)

This film is possibly the greatest zombie movie of all time even if the infected are not the standard undead fair and even though it wasn't one of the classics. It has everything, all the characters play their parts and enough die and survive to represent the real threats and how to over come them. It also shows how power currupts and why not all humans can be trusted after the fall, esspecially those with athority and the "big guns." The movie also runs a couple of social commentaries to surpass even those in Romaros origanal "Of the Dead" films. The animal activists who destroy a country and turn everyone into crazed animals in an effort to demonstrate human cruelty to animals. As well as the more obvious and beautifully done look at how a human not infected by the virus is just as -if not more- capible of the greatest feats of violence and brutality.

Stay vigilent, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.

Z9

Hello fellow survivors,

It is a strange world in which we live. Many theories exist that zombies would first be created as a weapon of death but in fact they now exist as a tool for life.

Within as little as two years humans may be able to come back from the dead. Resent studies have literally had doctors kill dogs and then bring them back to life. Man has finally done everything Jesus could do by defeating even death. This marks a new, hope filled and scary advance in technology. Once this can be done to a human there are endless possibilities. If this can be given to the public, spread world wide and kept out of corporate hands (will never happen,) no one need ever die again.

But this begs the question what will happen when they do this to a human? More specifically what will happen to the soul? Will it begin to go to its final resting place and then be ripped back to earth? Will this prove the soul does not in fact exist as we believe it but is mearly our brain's complicated attempts to explain its existence. Or will the soul depart the body as God intended and the body become literally a re-animated corpse, a zombie?

Re-animation in this way would not involve a virus and therefore these zombies would not be infectious. One would assume. However the bestial nature of man without a soul is still the most brutal thing ever imagined. If such a creature were to rise would it perhaps create the virus within itself? Becoming a new strain or creating a sort of parasite instead of the traditional virus we think of (Solanum, t-virus, "Rage" etc.)

Another possibility is that the human without a soul would become mindless and very much like a voodoo zombi. However very few of the animals used in these experiments suffered any side effects at all. It would stand to reason that a human would not lose the ability for brain use either and become a vegetable as this did not occur to the dogs. Dogs brains are much simpler then human brains however and they rely almost entirely on instinct and training. This only proves that a human's basic instincts and functionality would remain, not that his higher reasoning or morals would return. And a human's instincts are the three Fs: fight, flee and... mate. These primal instincts are used to fulfill basic needs involved in self preservation, most prominent of these is the need of sustenance... food.

Also is the question of if these zombies could only be killed by destroying the brain. In a way, the process of killing a zombie is the same as killing a person. When the brain stops working the person or zombie dies. Zombies do not require oxygen for the brain to function which is why the brain must be destroyed directly while a living, breathing human can die from any number of ways. Zombies re-animated in this way are done so using blood, oxygen and electricity, the three components needed to make the brain function. Therefore these zombies run off the same functions humans do, they are undead but their bodies still function in very much the same way ours do. This would lead to the possibility of zombies not unlike those from 28 Days Later, infected with "Rage."

This is actually a two part study. It also looks at the possibility of dogs as zombies, the true undead form that are so popular in films and video games such as Resident Evil. There is much debate on if animals can become undead and the answer to this is actually much simpler than it would seem. Consider that the zombie virus is just that, a virus. Viruses are able to infect any warm blooded animal, it thus stands to reason that any warm blooded animal is capable of becoming a zombie and carrying the infection further. Note that cold-blooded animals, while immune to most diseases and viruses that effect warm blooded animals can still be carriers. This is vitally important, something as innocent as a bite from an infected bug will transmit the virus!

Protect yourself, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.

Class 1: Edmonton, CA

My interest in zombies first started when my cousin showed me one of my favorite zombie films, Undead. The next day I began reading and watching, everything I could get my hands on that had anything to do with the undead; which led to a lot of information, not just about zombies. Many works of fiction about vampires and other undead fell into my lap as I searched.

I hadn’t begun documenting my findings yet but I found a lot and I have been blessed with a great memory which kept track of vital information, unfortunately details like dates and names often illude me.
I read doctor’s reports on voodoo zombies and the drugs and physcology used to create these mindless slaves. I watched everything from White Zombie to 28 Days Later. I was enthralled.

Suddenly about four years ago my world was changed when I experienced my first outbreak report. I was in the process of reading the Zombie Survival Guide when I saw it on the news.
Man shot dead by police after killing his wife and attacking his children and police officers. The man was unarmed and had no history of violence. He just “went mad, like an animal.” One police officer was bitten by the man during the incident.

I phoned around and one of my contacts in the police informed me that the police officer bitten had died of mysterious causes, it was strange to get that information from him instead of on the news as most law enforcement related deaths are. This was my first encounter with news being withheld and I realized just how much might not be being told to the public.

The response was fairly standard for domestic violence, local law enforcement. Media footage was normal as well as the details were not hidden to any noticable extent unless further looked into. The more personal details like the deaths of the police officer or the cause of death of any of the people involved are missing.

The details breakdown-

Location: Edmonton, Canada

Time: January, 2007

Infected: 3 (estimate)

Response: Police

Media Coverage: Some footage and details.

My suggestion: Never doubt, always question, keep your eyes open.

Stay vigilant, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,

Mike D.

Class 1: Montreal, CA

Keeping an eye on the news pays off eventually: when I caught a glimse of a police shooting in Montreal I gave the event my full attention. On February 5, 2011 police shot and killed a man in Montreal. A sad but not uncommon occurance. What was strange are the following:

• The man's name and background were not released.
• The events leading upto the shooting were not released.
• The men carrying the bodybag were wearing gas masks.
• There was a military officer seen in the news footage.
• No further information can be found on the event.

The news report also mentioned a similar event (with no details provided) which occured only a few days before. Also, only three days later all information on this event seems to be missing from news websites. This is strange considering all the shootings and gang violence in Montreal and how most of it does not seem to be censored but this has been.

No information about the man shot was released, for instance his history, was he in a gang or has a history of violence? Or was he an ideal citizen suddenly gone wild? Nor were the circumstances of the shooting given. Were there witnesses? Was he armed? -A dead give away to if it is a zombie or a crazed human is if the target tries to use a weapon of some sort.- Did he try to bite or otherwise attack anyone? Who called it into police? All questions left completely unanswered about this event.

The response to this event seems strange for a run of the mill shooting as well. The footage showed a large number of police and medical staff on hand. Also anyone shown near the bag holding the corpse of the man shot was wearing a gas mask. With the exception of one Canadian Armed Forces officer who was caught in one of the clips over seeing the body being put into an ambulance. This is something many people might not catch but instantly raises a red flag. Why would military personal be on site after a police shooting, even one that ended in a death? It would seem to be a local law enforcement issue, not something to involve the military, unless something larger was at stake. Esspecially if a number of similar events have been taking place in Montreal.

The details breakdown-
Location: Montreal, Canada
Time: Febraury 5, 2011
Infected: 1 (estimate)
Response: Police with military suporvison.
Media Coverage: Some footage, no details.

My suggestion: if you live in Montreal, or plan to be visiting soon like I will be, keep a close watch on any events the involve shootings or missing persons. The prolbem is because of all the gang violence in Montreal it may be hard to spot which is which. For instance a shooting which left two dead, two wounded and one man missing in the Famingo in Old Montreal, I would normally pass off as gang violence, even with my suspecious scrutiny but given the other strange shootings even this seemingly obvious gang hit might be something even scarier.

Stay vigilent, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.

Zombie lovers...

To most survivors this may seem off topic or random but this post will feature a couple of different things.


First I will bring your attention to some good friend's of mine and fellow zombie enthusiasts, Atomic Zombie Tattoo Artists. These valiant men and women are extremely open about their interest in zombies and while not all of their ideas regarding them are completely factual they show no fear in displaying those ideas and discussing new theories. This is in addition to being kick-ass tattoo artists. As a man without tattoos I often think about getting one whenever I see the work these people do. The company itself helps with events such as Zombie Walks or local Zombie films. I am always in favor of supporting people who will turn around and support their fellow survivors in the effort to spread the bad news.


Here is a link to their website:
http://www.atomiczombie.net/home.html


This post is obviously not following the format of many of the others so far so I don't feel it out of place to address anything that wouldn't fill up a post completely on its own. Like for instance there is a new poll up. Or that I am proud to see readers from different countries have tuned in and I hope that some great automatic translator is making sure they get the information as well. The undead are found in every culture and every area, the information presented here is from a Canadian viewpoint but help protect any survivor, any where in the world.


Another shout I would like to send out is to the potential survivors at NR92, NAIT's student radio station. I recently did an interview with them about my blog and the Zombie Research Society, NR92 is attempting to “Prepare you for the upcoming Zombie Apocalypse.” by putting local events and news in the spotlight. Here's what they had to say about me after our interview: “Local blogger and Zombie Research Society member, Michael Davidson believes it is not a question of if but of when.” Radio is an important part of preparation for life after the fall because many forms of power and thus satellites -especially those not automatically-ground or manually-space controlled- will eventually stop working and knowing how to understand and operate radio could proof the most efficient means of long range communication.


You can listen to the students at NAIT at:
http://www.nait.ca/nr92/index.html


I would like to end by pointing out I will never run out of ideas for posts for the ZLC but comments and requests are more then welcome. I've had a couple of people e-mail me, one of those requests led to a post about vehicles. Thinking about which now, I should put another vehicle break down up soon. I'm also planning an exciting series of posts for the summer months while I am touring to other cities.

Be vigilent, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,

Mike D.

January Poll results

Panic! Panic!!! PANIC!!!
This will do no one any good. Panic is not in fact a natural reaction. Panic is what the untrained mind and body does when facing new or dangerous experiences. This result is easily avoided by careful training and preparation.

Celebrate! Kill everything that moves!
Also not a good choice. There will be other survivors around and you will draw a lot of unwanted attention from both the living and the dead. Note this is an unconfirmed report, the willingness to kill at the drop of a hat for unjustified reasons is not healthy. Just saying, get help.

Ignore it and go about your daily life.
This will suffice for the vast majority of outbreaks but ignorance will not always end in bliss. Eventually a Class 3, 4 or even a Class 2 outbreak will cause everyone with this mindset to become among the first (and most deserving) to turn.

Stay calm. Immediately prepare yourself for the worst and put your well laid out survival plans into effect.
I thought this would be the most popular response. But it is an incorrect one. This is because of the misunderstandings of what a zombie report is. You will never see dramatic news reports such as are commonly in films about “the dead walking among us” or “not enough room in hell.” By the time these reports start coming it will be too late for most people. Unconfirmed reports happen all around us. Last year in Edmonton, a woman was rushed off to hospital after her husband suddenly attacked and bit her. The husband was shot and killed by police, even though he was unarmed. This is an unconfirmed zombie report. The event did happen but the truth behind it is either unknown or covered up. Now this event obviously does not call for a full scale defense nor is it an immiedately life changing event.

Keep the event in mind and watch for similar activities or cover-ups.
Take the event described above, not cause for alarm but what we have here is a possible Class 1 outbreak: a small contained incident. If for instance the wife were to die and some sort of strange explaination is given, like she died of an fever, infection or even “complications” it could be a cover-up. Or watch for similar or related events, such as a sudden unexplained death involving a police officer who happened to be one of the ones involved at this household. These events together could make it reasonably certain it was an outbreak and could continue further. These events happen around us all the time and we simply ignore them but with only a little training and vigilance they can be spotted and used to keep track of outbreaks.
A Class 1 outbreak, especially an unconfirmed one is no cause for alarm but it should by no means be ignored incase events were to escalate.

Outbreaks can be put into four Classes.
Class 1 is a small, contained event. This event will probably only involve a few people, ranging from one to twenty infected. The entire event could last a few hours or up to two weeks and will not cover an area larger then a twenty-mile radius. Response will be minimal, either civilian or police. Media coverage will also be minimal if any.

Class 2 is a larger event in a more populated area. This event may range to involve possibly up to a thousand people and between a few dozen and a few hundred infected. The entire event lasts between a few days and up to a few weeks, this is from first contact to final clean up. The area may spread from a hundred mile radius or so to as small as a couple city blocks depending on the density of the population. Response will be slightly heavier, including local and federal law enforcement and possibly even some military support. Media coverage will be high but cover-ups, disbelieve and mixed information will keep most of the truth out of the reports.

Class 3 is the largest outbreak within reason. The number of infected will rise to the thousands, possibly tens of thousands) and the number of people involved could reach up to ten times that of the infected. The infection could cover several hundred square miles, entire states, small countries or boarders. The entire event could last between weeks and up to a few months including mop-up, cover-up and clean-up. Response will be military, heavy military ranging from armor to special forces. Media coverage will be heavy but over time and through dilusion of the facts most of it will never reach the public.

Class 4 is the worst possible situation. The event true survivors are preparing for. When civilization completely breaks down. The world will become a wasteland in which new societies will be formed and the undead will wear down humanity until an estimated 500,000 survivors remain to rule the barren ruins that will be left behind in the wake of the zombie apocalypse. This period in which the world is dying is what I refer to as the fall.

Signs to look for when spotting an outbreak:

• Homicides in which the victims were executed by head shots or decapitation.
• Missing persons, particularly in wilderness or uninhabited areas.
• Cases of "violent insanity" in which the subject attacked friends or family without the use of weapons. Find out if the attacker bit or tried to bite his victims.
• Riots or other civil disturbances that have limited media coverage.
• Disease-based deaths in which either the cause is undetermined or seems highly suspect.
• Any event in which media coverage was forbidden.

Once an attack has been identified keep tabs on it. Note where it took place, similar events in the area or a path of similar events. Note how far apart the event took place in time as well as distance. Note what sort of response was made by police, military or importantly, other “extremist” groups and the like. Once you believe an outbreak to be confirmed, than actions should be taken to regarding the size of an outbreak. It is vital to note that any outbreak may escalate very quickly into the next class and it is only a matter of time until ignorance brings about a Class 4.

 

Be vigilent, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,

Mike D.