CDC Prepares America For "Zombie Apocalypse"

Thank goodness someone working for the government has a sense of humor. I just didn't think that person would be working at the Center for Disease Control (CDC). One of the jobs of the CDC is to prepare the American people for an emergency -- so they will know what to do if and when an emergency strikes. One clever person at the CDC (Ali S. Khan) has come up with a way to draw interest to this topic in a unique way. He has written an account of how to prepare for a ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE (with the knowledge that this same preparedness could be used in any kind of disaster).

I urge you to go over to the CDC site and read the whole thing. I'm only posting a part of it here, but it's good information that we all should be aware of -- and it's a pretty funny article to boot. Here's some of what he had to say:

There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for. Take a zombie apocalypse for example. That’s right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you’ll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you’ll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency.


The rise of zombies in pop culture has given credence to the idea that a zombie apocalypse could happen. In such a scenario zombies would take over entire countries, roaming city streets eating anything living that got in their way. The proliferation of this idea has led many people to wonder “How do I prepare for a zombie apocalypse?”


Well, we’re here to answer that question for you, and hopefully share a few tips about preparing for real emergencies too!


So what do you need to do before zombies…or hurricanes or pandemics for example, actually happen? First of all, you should have an emergency kit in your house. This includes things like water, food, and other supplies to get you through the first couple of days before you can locate a zombie-free refugee camp (or in the event of a natural disaster, it will buy you some time until you are able to make your way to an evacuation shelter or utility lines are restored).


If zombies did start roaming the streets, CDC would conduct an investigation much like any other disease outbreak. CDC would provide technical assistance to cities, states, or international partners dealing with a zombie infestation. This assistance might include consultation, lab testing and analysis, patient management and care, tracking of contacts, and infection control (including isolation and quarantine). It’s likely that an investigation of this scenario would seek to accomplish several goals: determine the cause of the illness, the source of the infection/virus/toxin, learn how it is transmitted and how readily it is spread, how to break the cycle of transmission and thus prevent further cases, and how patients can best be treated. Not only would scientists be working to identify the cause and cure of the zombie outbreak, but CDC and other federal agencies would send medical teams and first responders to help those in affected areas (I will be volunteering the young nameless disease detectives for the field work).