Zombies have been around for longer than most people think. The original old school zombies had to do with “witch doctors” that practiced Voodoo. They would turn a person into a zombie which was pretty much a slave that had to obey their commands. Similar to a very deep form of hypnosis but much more serious. These zombies don’t really pose a threat to people unless the witch doctor is out to get you.

The modern zombie is much different. While the things that can cause the initial outbreak are numerous, it is usually a chemical or biological agent. It used to be in the form of a serious breach of security at some sort of secret lab. In today’s world the toxin could be released on purpose as an act of terrorism. It doesn’t really matter how it starts, it will usually end up the same way.

People that have become infected lose all the things that made them human. While they can still move around, they only have one driving force. That is hunger. Unfortunately, what a zombie considers food is a living breathing human. They are predators that respond to the smell of a living person, noises (like gunfire or screaming), and in some instances movement.

Some zombies will be slow moving, pretty much stumbling along, going after the food source (which is you). These zombies are still dangerous. They are usually very strong and more importantly, feel no pain. If they lose a leg, they will continue to crawl after you. Unless you kill them, they won’t stop.

The other type of modern zombie is the one that is referred to as a “rage or rager” in popular culture. These zombies are extremely fast. You will not be able to outrun them. They have exceptional strength and have somewhat more reasoning skills. By this I mean they won’t just pinball off a door to try to get you when you are in a building. They realize that they have to break in to get you. While they may use their own head to do this, they will eventually break through the door or the wall.

While the dangers from either type of zombies is basically the same, the fast moving ones will usually be more of a threat. What exactly is the threat? 

1. The obvious one is that you can get eaten. While it has never been explained why a zombie’s preferred food is living human, that is the case. They have been known to eat other animals but a live human is the preferred food source. According to some sources it is especially the brains that the zombie is after. One reason for this may be that the zombie needs a high source of protein. Eating a brain would give the zombies a great source of that protein.

2. The modern zombie virus is almost always (there are other options but not as common) a blood-born pathogen. This means that if you get bitten (but not eaten or killed) or sometimes scratched, you will become infected. Depending on the characteristics of the pathogens, a simple scratch may cause you to become infected. This is only the beginning of the problems. The virus (or whatever the pathogen is) will kill you rather quickly if you survive the attack. Once you die, you will reanimate into a zombie. This means you are not a husband, wife, sister, or mother.

It is important to remember that while one or two of the slow moving zombies may not be dangerous, large groups are. Fast movers are always dangerous. If you have an opportunity to exterminate any kind of zombie you should (as long as it won’t endanger you or your friends by doing it).

Modern zombies have been created by science. They are deadly and could very easily wipe out what is left of the uninfected human population. If a zombie outbreak occurs, make sure you have weapons but just as important, gather as much information as you can as quick as you can. You can sort it out later. The sooner you have a better understanding of the problem at hand, the sooner you may be able to find an answer to it or a way to get out of harms way. Good luck.