Mosquitos?

[MikePizzoff]

I'm surprised this hasn't been brought up here yet... Anybody ever wonder if mosquitos would be able to transfer the virus from zombies to humans? I know mosquitos are attracted to WARM FLESH (much like zombies) while zombies are COLD, however, a lot of zombies will also be covered in blood and the scent of blood will therefore attract mosquitos. So, I'm sure there will be ones that will suck the blood of the zombies... only fresh zombies, though, due to the fact that the blood would be coagulated on the older zombies. So, what do you think the chances of contracting the virus and turning into a zombie because of a mosquito are?

[Mike70]

I'm surprised this hasn't been brought up here yet... Anybody ever wonder if mosquitos would be able to transfer the virus from zombies to humans? I know mosquitos are attracted to WARM FLESH (much like zombies) while zombies are COLD, however, a lot of zombies will also be covered in blood and the scent of blood will therefore attract mosquitos. So, I'm sure there will be ones that will suck the blood of the zombies... only fresh zombies, though, due to the fact that the blood would be coagulated on the older zombies. So, what do you think the chances of contracting the virus and turning into a zombie because of a mosquito are? this is an interesting idea. i must smoke a bowl and think about this. my only concern is that in romero's world it seems to be saliva that transfers whatever the hell it is that infects folks and causes them to die. correct me if i am wrong but doesn't roger get zombie blood all over him (including in his face) during the tussle at the truckyard? can anyone else think of an instance in romero's films where characters are exposed to blood from zombies with no ill effects?

[blind2d]

Mosquitoes, eh? Interesting point. I expect the chances of it being communicable that way would be small, but probably not nonexistent. Hmm... further study is needed.

[sandrock74]

Does a mosquitto die from ingesting "dead" blood? If so, then it is no threat. Personally, I don't see mosquittos being attracted to zombies. They are dead and cold. Any fresh blood on them will cool pretty damn quick.

[slickwilly13]

Since I'm blowed, too. How about a mosquito feeding off an infected living human?

[MoonSylver]

Hmmm....I've always figured that zombies give off something that makes them unpalatable to maggots, rodents, & other vermin (as part of the "what-keeps-them-active-&-mobile-for-10-to-12-years?" line of thinking) So, perhaps they would be as unattractive to mosquitoes as to any other type of critter that would threaten their long term mobility?

[Wyldwraith]

Well, I saw the mosquito viral transmission theory used in some low-budget zombie movie I saw on sci-fi. It just didn't wash for me. While technically I suppose if the cause of the zombie rising is viral, then a mosquito might occasionally bite a living person whose infected but hasn't succumbed yet. Under those circumstances they might transmit the virus to a healthy individual they later bit, but I have several doubts about this possibility. 1) We have no idea if, or for how long the "zombie virus" can survive outside of its intended host. Some viruses (like the rhinovirus which causes the flu) are incredibly resilient in a variety of environments. Others, HIV being a perfect example, perish almost immediately outside of their host medium. The virus might perish while inside the mosquito. 2) Low viral load. Since I do not believe a mosquito would ever bite an actual zombie, or drink rapidly cooling/coagulating blood off the surface of a blood-drenched zombie, that leaves only infected living humans as potentially infected blood sources for the mosquito to draw from. Depending on how long its been since the person was bitten by a zombie, how much of the virus was introduced during the attack (a zombie chewing a chunk out of the muscle of your forearm will obviously introduce more virus than if a couple teeth pierced your jacket and broke the skin on your shoulder from a brief and glancing bite attempt.) Both individuals are doomed, but the one in the second example will take longer to succumb, and in the meantime will be carrying a much lighter viral load than the more extensively attacked individual. If the mosquito were to draw blood from the individual who was "barely bitten" they might not collect a sufficient viral load to infect the healthy person the mosquito bites next. I believe this is why most zombie movies rule out insect transmission as a possible source of the disease. That, and while frightening in an unavoidable/unforeseeable death sort of way, it doesn't contribute much to a cinematic experience. Main character slaps his neck, reveals crushed/bloody mosquito, dies and reanimates several hours later. Such a death feels rather "cheap" IMO, and certainly unsatisfying to many viewers. It would be interesting to get GAR's opinion on this. I'd like to know what is the absolute minimum-sized sample of zombie virus that can infect/kill/reanimate a healthy individual. My OPINION is that GAR would rule against insect transmission, because during an interview about the survival horror genre in general he made a couple of disparaging comments about scripts that "are reaching" when they include zombie animals, infection by zombie animals etc. On the other hand, if the ruling is that even ONE single copy of the viral cell responsible for killing/reanimating humans is enough to overwhelm the immune system and doom the individual exposed then humanity would be 100% doomed.

[MaximusIncredulous]

Don't female mosquitos lock in on their prey via the CO2 in exhaled breath and sweat given off by living mammals? I don't think zombies would fit into that category.

[Skippy911sc]

Don't female mosquitos lock in on their prey via the CO2 in exhaled breath and sweat given off by living mammals? I don't think zombies would fit into that category. I think this is part of their system...that's how those mosquito machines work...they use propane to create CO2 and the mosiquito flys in and is sucked up by the vacuum. I think this is an interesting problem for the 28 days later movies since blood is used in transmission, but I think only the bite is deadly in GAR's world.

[Trin]

This comes from the cdc website found here: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/fac...ansmission.htm This is specific to HIV but the explanation could very easily cover zombie related blood transmitted pathogens or 28 Days/Weeks Rage virus. "The results of experiments and observations of insect biting behavior indicate that when an insect bites a person, it does not inject its own or a previously bitten person’s or animal’s blood into the next person bitten. Rather, it injects saliva, which acts as a lubricant or anticoagulant so the insect can feed efficiently. Such diseases as yellow fever and malaria are transmitted through the saliva of specific species of mosquitoes. However, HIV lives for only a short time inside an insect and, unlike organisms that are transmitted via insect bites, HIV does not reproduce (and does not survive) in insects. Thus, even if the virus enters a mosquito or another sucking or biting insect, the insect does not become infected and cannot transmit HIV to the next human it feeds on or bites." I also agree that misquitos are attracted to facets only found in living humans. Things like sweat production. So unless zombies sweat (which would make them even more nasty) I don't see them getting bitten.

[SymphonicX]

this is an interesting idea. I must smoke a bowl and think about this. epic win!!

[Yojimbo]

Don't female mosquitos lock in on their prey via the CO2 in exhaled breath and sweat given off by living mammals? I don't think zombies would fit into that category. I was goin to point this out, but you beat me to it!!! Serves me right for not stopping by the boards as much as I should! That being said, this entire argument about transmission is based on a big assumption that the entire phenomenon is caused by a communicable virus. Since all dead humans ressurect, regardless of cause of death and not necessarily because of contact with ghouls, if the cause was indeed a virus, then this virus would have to have infected everyone universally, and would be endemic. If this is the case then the issue of transmission by mosquito bite is moot. Nevertheless, a very cool thread!

[Wyldwraith]

I was goin to point this out, but you beat me to it!!! Serves me right for not stopping by the boards as much as I should! That being said, this entire argument about transmission is based on a big assumption that the entire phenomenon is caused by a communicable virus. Since all dead humans ressurect, regardless of cause of death and not necessarily because of contact with ghouls, if the cause was indeed a virus, then this virus would have to have infected everyone universally, and then would be endemic. If this is the case then the issue of transmission by mosquito bite is moot. Nevertheless, a very cool thread! Not necessarily true, There's a story in the Fiction Section that deals with this last issue you mentioned in highly specific and scientific detail. The basis for the story is that a multi-vectored immunogenic (causes no response/is not fought by the immune system at all) virus called something like HP-137 has achieved 99.9999% penetration of total human population. That when living humans infected with HP-137 die (for whatever reason), the virus inside them mutates into HN-137, which then causes reanimation as a GAR-type zombie. HN-137 can also be transmitted by the bite/getting body fluids of a zombie inside a living person, which causes death within hours, followed by re-animation. So the synopsis would be that everyone on Earth would be infected by the HP-137 (that isn't symptomatic), and that when those folks die they get up as zombies cuz their HP-137 viruses mutate into HN-137. HN-137 is only transmitted by actual contact with zombies (traditional GAR rules), which neatly explains how everyone who dies reanimates, while the cause is still viral-based. STRONGLY recommend reading Alomal-137 in the Fiction section if you're interested in a highly detailed and real science theories being applied to this hypothetical zombie epidemic being viral-based. DISCLAIMER!!All credit for the content of this post is given to the author of Alomal-137. All ideas expressed in this post were thought up by said author, and their appearance here is in no wise an attempt to take credit for either the concept, theory or underlying ideas Alomal-137 is based on.

[DjfunkmasterG]

this is an interesting idea. i must smoke a bowl and think about this. my only concern is that in romero's world it seems to be saliva that transfers whatever the hell it is that infects folks and causes them to die. correct me if i am wrong but doesn't roger get zombie blood all over him (including in his face) during the tussle at the truckyard? can anyone else think of an instance in romero's films where characters are exposed to blood from zombies with no ill effects? Got to remember though, Roger was bitten a short time later, infact just after they moved the truck they shot the zombie in, and he ended up covered in that zombies blood. So whether or not he was put into contact with it, he ended up bitten a short time after and it made no difference.

[Yojimbo]

Not necessarily true, There's a story in the Fiction Section that deals with this last issue you mentioned in highly specific and scientific detail. The basis for the story is that a multi-vectored immunogenic (causes no response/is not fought by the immune system at all) virus called something like HP-137 has achieved 99.9999% penetration of total human population. That when living humans infected with HP-137 die (for whatever reason), the virus inside them mutates into HN-137, which then causes reanimation as a GAR-type zombie. HN-137 can also be transmitted by the bite/getting body fluids of a zombie inside a living person, which causes death within hours, followed by re-animation. So the synopsis would be that everyone on Earth would be infected by the HP-137 (that isn't symptomatic), and that when those folks die they get up as zombies cuz their HP-137 viruses mutate into HN-137. HN-137 is only transmitted by actual contact with zombies (traditional GAR rules), which neatly explains how everyone who dies reanimates, while the cause is still viral-based. STRONGLY recommend reading Alomal-137 in the Fiction section if you're interested in a highly detailed and real science theories being applied to this hypothetical zombie epidemic being viral-based. DISCLAIMER!!All credit for the content of this post is given to the author of Alomal-137. All ideas expressed in this post were thought up by said author, and their appearance here is in no wise an attempt to take credit for either the concept, theory or underlying ideas Alomal-137 is based on. Sounds like a pretty cool story - must go an check this out sometime. Thanks Wyld!