A researcher at Ohio’s Kent State University, Tara C Smith, has published a study in The British Medical Journal, which summarises the pathology and epidemiology of zombie infections. Smith has asked for more research and funding to prevent a zombie apocalypse. According to her, zombies who are known by various names are now a dominant part of the medical landscape. The study has proved to be quite helpful in understanding how different countries deal with virus outbreaks.

“Several models of zombie infections have shown that in the event of a large scale outbreak humans face extermination,” she says in the study.

According to Telegraph.co.uk, Smith, in a blog post has drawn a comparison of zombies with the Ebola outbreak pointing out how the world is totally unprepared to handle deadly viruses and a delay in action costs lives. Speaking on the study, she said although the topic of her study may seem ridiculous as nobody expects a zombie apocalypse, yet there are new diseases that causing great pain to mankind all the time.

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Hence, if one shivers watching TV show “The Walking Dead” and movies such as “28 Days Later,” “Resident Evil” and “World War Z,” thinking that it might turn out to be true someday; if not a zombie outbreak, an outbreak of similar proportions can spell doom for mankind.

The study also has a large section dedicated to zombies. According to zombie expert Matt Mogk, zombies have predominantly three characteristics – they are biologically infected and infectious, extremely aggressive and they are a re-animated human corpse. Smith adds to it and says if a zombie outbreak does happen, people, if bitten, will have a tendency to moan and their walking pattern will change. In her study she says that ultimately the person who has been bitten will lose his/her personality traits. There will also be loss dexterity and eventual rotting of the flesh, writes Mirror.

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Through her study, Smith explains that documented rise of numerous zombie pathogens must be seen as a wake-up call for the international community. She says that government officials and scientists need to cooperate to tackle the threat of apocalyptic diseases and that would require a lot of funding. She believes that most countries are not taking this matter seriously.

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