The fact that a single bite or scratch can leave you eating brain matter is a very unnerving thought and, as such, close contact with the undead in any situation warrants extreme caution. Any zombie-inflicted wound in which the skin has been broken means one inevitable outcome – zombie infection. This must be avoided at all costs for the chances of a successful anti-virus being developed, amid the chaos such an outbreak would bring, are very slim. The time taken for the virus to completely takeover the host is highly variable, mainly depending on the severity and location of the injury. One bite for example, could take anywhere from several hours to a number of days for the individual to succumb to cannibalistic urges. The general pathway of infection is as follows:
Stage 1: Infection
Stage 2: Intense pain at site of injury
Stage 3: Fever
Stage 4: Numbness/loss of function
Stage 5: Vision impairment
Stage 6: Memory loss/deterioration in brain capacity
Stage 7: Loss of consciousness
Stage 8: Death
Stage 9: Reanimation