"Zombie Virus" Possible via Rabies-Flu Hybrid?

It's a question every horror fan has asked at some point: what if zombies were real? Indeed, since recent adaptations of the zombie genre have attempted more realistic portrayals of zombie plagues (e.g., the disease-based zombies of 28 Day Later versus the radioactively-contaminated zombies of George Romero's 1968 Night of the Living Dead), this question is being asked with increasing frequency.

Many zombie aficionados, furthermore, have observed the similarities between the zombie viruses of the silver screen and real-world afflictions like rabies. National Geographic examines these similarities, and like many others, asks, "what if?":

Though dead humans can't come back to life, certain viruses can induce such aggressive, zombie-like behavior, scientists say in the new National Geographic Channel documentary The Truth Behind Zombies.

For instance, rabies--a viral disease that infects the central nervous system--can drive people to be violently mad, according to Samita Andreansky, a virologist at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine in Florida who also appears in the documentary.

Combine rabies with the ability of a flu virus to spread quickly through the air, and you might have the makings of a zombie apocalypse.

Read on here.