The virus is said to be neither waterborne or airborne; the only way to become

infected is through direct fluidic contact, in which context the virus is 100% communicable, with a 100%

mortality rate. Although bites are most common, infection can be obtained through open wounds brushing

against each other or being splattered with remains, usually after explosions. The guide also states that no one

has recorded a test of sexual contact with a zombie but, as inferred from other cases, is a highly probable path

        Solanum is described as traveling through the bloodstream, from the initial point of entry to the brain, where it

uses the cells of the frontal lobe for replication, destroying them in the process. During this period, all bodily

functions cease; by stopping the heart, the subject is rendered "dead." The brain remains alive, but dormant,

while the virus mutates its cells into a completely new organ. The most critical trait of this new organ is its

independence from oxygen. By removing the need for this all-important resource, the undead brain can utilize,

but is no way dependent on, the complex support mechanism of the human body. Once this mutation is

complete, this new organ reanimates the body into a form that bears little resemblance (physiologically

speaking) to the original corpse. Some bodily functions remain constant, others operate in a modified capacity,

and the remainder shut down completely. This new organism is a zombie, a member of the living dead.