The Intergalactic Highway

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4683903.stm

2 people here had this and they tried to attack people. One was in Lowes and the other was on the side of a main highway ><;

Time to get the ammo ready and move up in the attic! x.x

*Ratchet Mode Engaged*

I love the media when it comes to infectious diseases and health matters in general. It's incredibly entertaining to watch them publish only a fraction of the story, and even more so to observe the reactions of the general public afterward.

The disease is found in two forms, depending on the parasite, either Trypanosoma brucei gambiense or Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. T. b. gambiense is found in central and western Africa; it causes a chronic condition that can extend in a passive phase for months or years before symptoms emerge. T. b. rhodesiense is the acute form of the disease but has a much more limited range. It is found in southern and eastern Africa; its infection emerges in a few weeks and is more virulent and faster developing. ... The disease has been recorded as occurring in 36 countries, all in sub-Saharan Africa. ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_trypanosomiasis para. 5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trypanosoma_brucei
(Some fascinating information about the protozoa itself.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsetse_fly
(Information on the parasite's main mode of transmission - insects)

The wikis are probably the easiest reads, although Google Scholar has some fascinating abstracts available as well.

While the disease does kill a large number of people each year, no, we are not at risk of an imminent "zombie invasion." The two reports you half-cited would have either been infected by insect bites while in Africa, or had some sort of bodily-fluid contact with an infected individual/animal such as cattle from an infected area. (It seems far too common that such vital details are often at the very bottom of the 'news' article, and are mentioned only in passing by the journal's author. How frustrating...) Secondly, the "zombie" analogy is somewhat flawed; the disease's common moniker - "sleeping sickness" - is due to its disruption of the host's sleep cycle once the parasite crosses the blood-brain barrier. Any "zombie-like" behaviour would result from the sleep deprivation and brain damage, and at that stage is followed closely by coma and/or death.

Keep in mind that the media is inclined to publish information that attracts readers, organizing that information in ways that engage the readers emotionally. When it comes to public news reports about health matters, always conduct further research before 'hitting the panic button,' so to speak.

*End Ratchet Mode*

xCubicZirconia wrote:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4683903.stm

2 people here had this and they tried to attack people. One was in Lowes and the other was on the side of a main highway ><;

Time to get the ammo ready and move up in the attic! x.x

have you noticed that that page was also last edited in 2005?

xD Yeah.

This is an awesome thing to read first in the morning. Though I think it'd have been cooler if you cited the article from last year that happened in Japan when a few young teens had to be hospitalized from the H1N1 vaccination they took that made them act 'zombie like'.

THAT was funny. XD

Well, Deadpool's got the right approach:

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kpy13 ... o1_500.jpg

*laughs* I think I'd be the green guy, off like a bolt.

I'm so sad in the movie they got rid of his mouth...he has really witty lines too T_T

Yeah, thats Bob, Agent of Hydra. He is Deadpool's unwilling sidekick for this particular adventure who is a firm believer of the "if I can't see you, you can't see me" stealth tactic

Yeah, I'm just looking forward to the Deadpool movie, where apparently there'll be fourth wall breakages and insane one-liners, so here's hoping

Getting back to topic (curse my innate side rants ), has anyone read the Zombie Survival guide?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Zombie_Survival_Guide

If you haven't I strongly recommend it. Its entertaining because it reads like a proper survival guide but specifically dealing with the zombie apocalypse. I definitely know now that I'll grab the katana over the chainsaw if I need a close combat weapon