100 Days in Deadland (33 page)

Zombiism (
Marburgvirus Zonbistis
)

2013 Case Definition

CSTE Position Statement

19-ID-52

Clinical Description

Zonbistis
is transmitted to humans by direct exposure to infected tissues. The disease is characterized by clinical death, congealed blood, jaundice, stiff gait, insatiable hunger, and severe violent propensities. Infected hosts display minimal brain functioning. To promote transmission,
Zonbistis
enhances activity in the hypothalamus, thus increasing the host’s appetite and likelihood of biting, although the infected have shown less interest in eating, and the underlying reason has yet to be determined. The virus has proven extremely resilient and virulent, continually replenishing itself within its host. Only severe trauma to the host’s brain stem or destruction of the virus through fire is believed to eradicate the virus in the host.

If exposed to the virus, infection rate is 99.998%. There is no known cure. Upon initial infection,
Zonbistis
will take over its host anywhere from seven minutes to three hours, depending on severity of initial infection, level of injuries, and the host’s physical condition. At the point of the host’s clinical death, the virus is considered to have taken over.

When first contracted, initial symptoms include acute or insidious onset of fever and one or more of the following: headache, sweating, diplopia, blurred vision, bulbar weakness, hypoxia and/or dyspnea, nausea, vomiting, and shock.

Laboratory Criteria for Diagnosis

Detection of
Zonbistis
spp. in clinical specimen or isolation of
Zonbistis
spp. from wound or ingestion.

Case Classification

Suspected: Symptoms suggestive of
Zonbistis
.

Probable: A clinically compatible case with presumptive laboratory results.

Confirmed: A clinically compatible case with confirmatory laboratory results.

Comments

The virus is believed to have originated in a genetically modified pesticide undergoing testing in Brazil. When the pesticide was combined with an organic cleaning agent, the silica-coated cells of the pesticide were shown to have mutated into
Zonbistis.

Award-winning author Rachel Aukes was raised on a farm where she boasted the nearby small town’s largest (and only) comic book collection, and she’s still hooked on stories of heroes and heroines. Rachel lives in Iowa with her husband and an incredibly spoiled sixty-pound lap dog
.
 
When not writing, she can be found flying old airplanes and trying (not so successfully) to prepare for the zombie apocalypse. 

Connect with Rachel at
www.RachelAukes.com

To be notified when Deadland Rising and other books come out, sign up for Rachel’s
email list
.

With many thanks:

To my editor, Stephanie Riva, for making this story so much better.

To the Bards of Badassery—Elle J Rossi, Cynthia Valero, and Beth Ciotta—for the cheers.

To my husband for the hugs.

To Captain Dave for teaching me about things that shoot.

To
Rampdog for coming to my aid in the 11
th
hour.

To Ann David for running to my aid after the 12
th
hour.

To Ashley of Support Indie Author for the support.

And especially to all those making sacrifices to keep our world safe.

Copyright 2013 Rachel Aukes

Surprisingly Adequate Publishing

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved.

Kindle Edition: August 2013

ASIN: B00E4V2FK4

Edited by Stephanie Riva – RivaReading.com

Cover image ©
shockfactor – Fotolia.com

Cover font ©
Chepi Devosi – ChepiDev.com