C.D.C. Issues: Zombie Apocalypse Preparedness 101

OK, since we are all still here, and nothing happened on May 21st, the next big day for the end of the world is December 21, 20012. And in an effort to be more helpful I've researched the world over and found that being ready begins with the first step. Are you "really ready" when the "ZOMBIES" start coming at you? Do you have your stuff together? Plans laid out? The Centers For Disease Control a "Governmental Agency" recently posted a "Emergency Preparedness and Response" plan titled: "Social Media: Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse". This is serious stuff here when the government finally admits that we need to be prepared for whatever may come our way including ZOMBIES! Here is the original:

post for CDC by Ali S. Khan:

There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for. Take a zombie apocalypse for example. That’s right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you’ll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you’ll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency.

A Brief History of Zombies

We’ve all seen at least one movie about flesh-eating zombies taking over (my personal favorite is Resident EvilExternal Web Site Icon.), but where do zombies come from and why do they love eating brains so much? The word zombie comes from Haitian and New Orleans voodoo origins. Although its meaning has changed slightly over the years, it refers to a human corpse mysteriously reanimated to serve the undead. Through ancient voodoo and folk-lore traditions, shows like the Walking Dead were born.

In movies, shows, and literature, zombies are often depicted as being created by an infectious virus, which is passed on via bites and contact with bodily fluids. Harvard psychiatrist Steven Schoolman wrote a (fictional) medical paper on the zombies presented in Night of the Living Dead and refers to the condition as Ataxic Neurodegenerative Satiety Deficiency Syndrome caused by an infectious agent. The Zombie Survival Guide identifies the cause of zombies as a virus called solanum. Other zombie origins shown in films include radiation from a destroyed NASA Venus probe (as in Night of the Living Dead), as well as mutations of existing conditions such as prions, mad-cow disease, measles and rabies.

The rise of zombies in pop culture has given credence to the idea that a zombie apocalypse could happen. In such a scenario zombies would take over entire countries, roaming city streets eating anything living that got in their way. The proliferation of this idea has led many people to wonder “How do I prepare for a zombie apocalypse?”

Well, we’re here to answer that question for you, and hopefully share a few tips about preparing for real emergencies too!

for the full story complete with more facts, fiction and pictures go to the C.D.C. Website: http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp