Is a zombie-creating virus technically possible?

Question

Do you think a virus that creates zombies is within the possibilities of science? Explain.

Answer 1

Um no. A zombie is an organism that has died, then becomes reanimated. Designing a virus to kill someone is pretty easy, but the bringing them back to life part is not possible. We can't do that with any methods, let alone design a virus that can. Once you die, all of your body processes stop, your enzymes denature, and you have no way of restarting all of the metabolism processes that are needed to make the body walk around.

You probably could, however, design a virus that makes the victim have cannibalistic urges. There is a fungus (Cordyceps militaris) that attacks ants that brainwashes them to climb huge trees, then the fungus kills them and sprouts out of their brains. Designing a virus that makes humans do odd behavioral things (like crave brains for example) shouldn't be too far off.

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

If a zombie is defined as a dead human being that can still walk around and that knows how to eat human brains that is not possible. Once they are dead those capabilities that the virus adds to their body do not work any longer. The body has no source of energy or circulation to make its body parts move nor its brain think enough to even control the body.

Answer 4

I believe that a genetically engineered virus could create a zombie-like creature. Would it be like the reanimated dead? Not really. The body is way too complex to just up and move around once dead (the requirements of energy, oxygen, water,etc). But, could scientists design a sort of virus that could initiate the primitive part of the mind, taking out the cognitive self, and cause the individual to act on instinct alone? Sure. It is absolutely possible...anytime in the near future? Probably not.

Answer 5

First of all, you should define zombie. If you are talking about dead people that returns to life, definitely not. We don´t have the technology to do that.
There are many viruses that affect the brain in many different ways. They can cause an acute illness, encephalitis, that very often provokes the death of the infected individual. If he or she survives, he can totally recover or have permanent neurological damages. Sometimes these damages can be subtle or develop over time, specially when the infected person is a child. For not-well-known reasons, children are more prone to develop acute encephalitis than adults. It is well-known however that some viruses can establish persistent infections in the nervous system of the hosts, for instance, the herpes viruses. Although in many cases these infections are considered "silent" (with not visible symptoms), their possible relationship with the development of neurological disorders or mental conditions, such as depression or schizophrenia, has been considered. There are several lines of investigation that focus on the possible involvement of viruses in the development of neurological and mental disorders, although for many viruses there are not conclusive data so far.
Some viruses can be and are actually genetically modified, among them, vaccinia (that has been used for many years as a vaccine against smallpox), HIV, other retroviruses and some insect-infecting viruses. Although they are a promising vehicle to treat serious conditions, such as cancer and degenerative diseases, our knowledge of either these medical conditions and viruses is not deep enough to guarantee good results. Nowadays, the use of genetically-modified viruses in humans is not considered safe, although many research centers are working to improve their use as vectors to cure the conditions that I mentioned above. Of course, if somebody wants to use viruses for evil purposes, such as provoking neurological damage, it could be possibly done, even w/o genetic manipulation. But since we don´t totally understand the biology of viruses, the consequences of these practices could be not only unethical, but a serious threat for human safety. I think this is a subject to seriously reflect on.

Answer 6

Instinctive property of demand in 1963 Russain scientists have always been concerned of this. They than tested it in 1976. The 1946 hand-boilen was used in the project, Project Geographel. It was supposed to make the first zombie. In some religons 'God' himself was the first zombie but in some religons like Amish God had not come yet. This is called, the second coming. In Hulist religon, people believe God will need a 3rd coming. That is very doubtful. I am though an athiest. But I blieve in these sciences and matters. Than finally they thought they did every testing. They had not brung someone back to life. They though had one more idea. Well Tryman Buchleor thought using all of the town's energy power in Subsburge, Russia would bring life together and another part, zombies. So the first applied man was tested Hunglinton Runsburger in Russia that had died in 1898 of sever cancer. They brung him back to life by using Tryman's idea. It was the world's first zombie. But it was not able to control itself. It just kept on walking, like in a video game, you just keep making the game character move forward. That was exactly what the zombie was doing. Than they could not take him down. They kept shooting him until when they shot him in the head, he finally died. And than in 1976 the French trangolers used this too and brung Albert Yungington and Dale Halesburg to life. They could control theirselves much better, they put this one micro-chip thing in their head that made them be hundered to understand themselves. It kept their knowledge from when they were alive before. But when the two zombies had gotten to kill people, they put them down and decided not to create a zombie again on earth. So to answer your question, yes they have but it now is illegal to in consult of murder.

Answer 7

Only in the world of Resident Evil.

Answer 8

It is very possible, but not within the technology of man.

Aliens.

Yeah, now you have to worry about them, too. Sorry.

Answer 9

yea, TV and magazine advertisements.