An Impending 'Zombie Apocalypse?' A Warning From the CDC

As seen yesterday on our blog, the CDC published a creative blog post of their own that has successfully nabbed some media -- and public -- attention.  The post, a tongue-in-cheek guide to surviving a potential zombie attack, is intended to actually educate citizens regarding the proper steps to take in the event of a catastrophic emergency. According to FOXNews.com:

The post, written by Assistant Surgeon General Ali Khan, instructs readers how to prepare for "flesh-eating zombies" much like how they appeared in Hollywood hits like "Night of the Living Dead" and video games like Resident Evil. Perhaps surprisingly, the same steps you'd take in preparation for an onslaught of ravenous monsters are similar to those suggested in advance of a hurricane or pandemic.

Sure, on the surface it seems a bit ridiculous, but, the CDC claims that the zombie blog post quickly became the most popular article on the site.  Thus, people are reading it and potentially taking away some valuable information.  CDC spokesman Dave Daigle said, "The idea is we're reaching an audience or a segment we'd never reach with typical messages."  Below, see a screen shot from the CDC blog post:

Aside from providing a brief history of zombies, the post begs the question "So what do you need to do before zombies…or hurricanes or pandemics for example, actually happen?"  Aside from providing some very practical tips on disaster preparedness, the CDC comforts readers with the following:

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).

Glad to know we're in good hands (pending a zombie "outbreak").