Type 1 Viral Zombie:
Viruses are ancient and ever evolving creatures; they adapt rapidly, survive extreme conditions, and surprise us all the time. A mutant strain of a symbiotic virus, like that of the Polydnavirus carried by some wasps, has the potential to reanimate and/or keep the recently dead moving.

A Type 1 Viral Zombie is driven to feed, and through feeding, to infect and spread their disease. They move quite slowly and are typically not very intelligent, though there have been cases of them “using tools” on occasion. Depending on the level of decomposition in the brain and the virus involved, there is the possibility that they would retain access to basic memories, giving them the appearance of intelligence. This type of Zombie has also been shown to be “domesticated”, but never with long-term success.

These Zombies need no rest and will pursue potential victims endlessly through all terrain, weather, and conditions; as long as their bodies are capable of moving them along. They feel no pain, and show complete disregard to bodily harm, excepting the brain and brain-stem.

While a single Type 1 Viral Zombie is a threat that can easily be handled if proper care is taken, groups of four or more are much more difficult to dispatch and/or escape from safely. Drawn by an uncontrollable need to spread the disease, Type 1 Viral Zombies will often congregate in large numbers, and infest areas near survivors.

A bite or scratch from a Type 1 Viral Zombie is guaranteed to infect the injured party, causing symptoms ranging from graying skin to weakness in the limbs, fever, blurred vision, disorientation, and even coma before death and reanimation set in. After being bitten or wounded by a Type I Viral Zombie, the period of infection typically ranges from 1 hour to 1 week, depending on the severity of the wound and the general health of the victim.

In addition to the dangers of being bitten or scratched by a Type 1 Viral Zombie, their flesh and fluids are highly infectious and are capable of tainting water, soil, and food. Great care must be taken to avoid coming into direct contact with any bodily fluids or particulates of the Type 1 Viral Zombie due to their highly infectious state.

While Romero’s Zombies commonly show some, if not all, characteristics and behaviors of the Type 1 Viral Zombie, it is still unclear whether or not they are truly viral. In 1978′s “Dawn of the Dead” Peter (played by Ken Foree) can be heard saying, “When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth,” this leads us to believe that there is something spiritual going on, but in 1985′s “Day of the Dead” Dr. Logan (played by Richard Liberty) says, “We have a limited supply of chemical agents, and our lab equipment is hopelessly inadequate for our needs,” signalling that the Zombies may be viral after all.

While a Type 1 Viral Zombie cannot be killed through loss of blood or the destruction of most vital organs, they can be killed by destroying the brain; this is because the virus needs the host’s brain intact to survive and continue it’s spread.