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A deep dive into real-world pathogens, mysterious infections, or creepy historical outbreaks that resemble zombie lore.

Bridges microbiology and mythology. We cover things like rabies outbreaks, ergot poisoning, dancing plagues, or even prion diseases with zombielike symptoms.

Where the stories began—and the science got strange.

Before there were fictional zombies, there were real outbreaks that looked suspiciously undead. In this section, we explore historical events and real pathogens that mimicked zombie-like symptoms—delirium, aggression, cannibalism, or mindless wandering.

Take the infamous “Dancing Plague” of 1518, where dozens of people danced uncontrollably for days, even to death. Historians have linked it to mass hysteria or possible fungal toxins like ergot, a hallucinogenic mold that grows on rye—eerily similar to LSD and potentially capable of hijacking behavior.

Or the rabies virus, which has tormented humanity for millennia. Transmitted by bites and causing hydrophobia, aggression, and brain swelling, rabies is one of the most direct parallels to classic zombie behavior. In ancient texts and superstitions, rabid individuals were often mistaken for the cursed or possessed.

In each entry, we trace the science behind the myth and ask: Could it happen again? Has it already?