What are 3 main things that make an infected person a zombie?

Question from Desiree:
I have always been told that zombies are only dead people, but from what you have written, I see that if we are bitten, we can become zombies. That’s interesting. My question is, what are, let’s say, 3 main things that make an infected person a zombie? And can you explain why those 3 things make them a zombie instead of some other disease?

Answer:
That’s a fantastic question! First things first, zombies are most certainly living entities. You can really break these entities down into 2 categories: “The Reanimated Corpse” and “The Infected”. Now what you’ve thought of historically as a zombie is the first category, or RC’s. The interesting thing about the potential of the zombie contagion is that it doesn’t require a living host in order for it to function. It needs a host that has at least some remaining ambulatory capability and the wiring required to control that capability. Think of RC’s just like a car, until someone cranks the motor, operates the various gears and pedals, and steers it, the car is a useless pile of metal and plastic. Zombie contagions can fire up the RC and utilize the central nervous system of the deceased just like the electrical wiring, throttle and steering wheel of a vehicle.

Next we have “The Infected”, who WERE still alive, but were exposed to the contagion. The process is still the same (although obviously more traumatic to the victim being that they’re probably aware that this is happening to them) and the contagion simply takes over the synapses and motor neurons of the victim leading to their death and ultimate reanimation as a zombie.

Remember when I said “first things first”? Well, second things second- the host body of the zombie contagion is dead. Nothing remains of the person that used to be inside of that shell because the contagion causes catastrophic brain damage during the course of infection. With that being said, the contagion as an entity IS alive and controlling the body it has reanimated. This is why in order to stop a zombie only total annihilation of the head/brain will stop them. The zombie contagion IS a disease BUT it’s a disease designed to kill you and then control your body.

I hope this has helped to clear up your confusion and given you a better understanding of the zombie contagion.

Cheers,
Bast