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Definitional Matters It should be recognized that what we have here is a medical condition caused by a virus, and the "infected" are neither true zombies (they are alive, not undead) nor true vampires (vampires can be quite normal in appearance, and the condition is generally considered to be genetic, not infectious, although some researchers believe that a virus may trigger a latent genetic predisposition). The cause for the confusion may be that "the infected" we encounter in "I Am Legend," like both zombies and vampires, tend to confine their activities to night and relish blood for nourishment (although zombies, of course, have a greater affinity to flesh). As is often the case in medicine, however, different conditions may present similar symptoms, and thus it is important to make a careful, differential diagnosis. The infected here are simply the unfortunate victims of a virus for which the human race has not developed immunity; and surface similarities to zombies and vampires are merely the result of concurrent presenting characteristics. |
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