How Epidemics Start... the Lab

Sometimes Stephen King or any other writer working on zombie and horror stories don't have to look far for real-life inspiration.

The old story about the virus or bacteria or something stored or growing in that forgotten lab isn't so far-fetched. Consider this: the recent discovery of  long forgotten and overlooked vials of smallpox, one of the deadliest bacteria on the planet in a National Institutes of Health facility which, (no surprise), wasn't equipped or approved to handle the virus.

Yup. Another lab accident waiting to happen, this time in Maryland. And get this-- the virus could be viable and has possibly been sitting there since the 1950s.  The vials (16 of them!) were found and  picked up by CDC officials, but it won't be the first (or last) time there was a crisis-in-the-making or something dangerous that was overlooked, or yes, even done on purpose.

  One of those viruses does get out and mutates in my book, GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie. In 16-year-old Becca's case, infection comes via an accidental scratch which turns her into a part-zombie. Now she has to cope with a completely different "life"  with new quirks, looks and a new diet (no, not that) - something no teenage girl, wants - or expects - to deal with.