Source material:

Highlights of the recently released WHA report.

Mortosis is transferable through the exchange of blood, saliva or other bodily fluids, including bites.

Mortosis can be contracted through sharing of needles. Virus can be sexually transmitted (if partner is infected)

There is no known antidote at this point (Beware internet scams claiming to sell cures or inhibitors)

Mortosis is NOT airborne

Only infected people will reanimate upon death.

None infected people or people who die of natural causes do NOT rise.

If bitten, (or otherwise infected) on an arm or leg, severing the affected appendage may remove the infection, but only within the first few minutes of exposure. Burning the affected wound will only act to cortorize the wound. Not remove the infection.

Animals exposed to the Necro-Mortosis virus will become sick and die but do not reanimate. Livestock exposed must be destroyed.

Upon infection, the exposed usually succumbs to reanimation within 4 - 48 hours. First stage symptoms feel like flu. Migraine, hot flushes, aching muscles.

Second stage is followed by severe chills, extreme lethargy, some disorientation, and a gradual slowing of the heart rate. At this point, many fall into coma or suffer stroke or heart failure. This is due to the massive shock to the bodies immune system. Necrosis and mortification follow soon afterwards.

Reanimation can occur within minutes. Studied subjects have nearly always reanimated within the first hour of death.

Emergency Wound Management for Healthcare Professionals in the treatment of Necro-Mortosis victims

The risk for injury to both citizens and Healthcare Professionals during and after an undead outbreak is high. Apart from Necro-Mortosis contamination from bites, other problems such as blunt force trauma wounds mental trauma and tetanus have to be contended with. Tetnus is a potential health threat for persons who sustain wound injuries. Tetanus is a serious, often fatal, toxic condition, but is virtually 100% preventable with vaccination. Any wound has the potential for becoming infected with either mortosis and/or tetnus, and should be assessed by a health-care provider as soon as possible.

These principles can assist with wound management and aid in the prevention of amputations. In the wake of a 'Level three' undead outbreak resources are limited. Following these basic wound management steps can help prevent further medical problems.

Evaluation
Ensure that the scene is safe for you to approach the patient, and that if necessary; it is secured by the proper authorities (police, fire, civil defense) prior to patient evaluation.
Observe universal precautions, when possible, while participating in all aspects of wound care.
Obtain a focused history from the patient, and perform an appropriate examination to exclude additional injuries.

Treatment
Apply direct pressure to any bleeding wound, to control hemorrhage.
Tourniquets are rarely indicated since they may reduce tissue viability.
Examine wounds for gross contamination, devitalized tissue, and foreign bodies.

Remove constricting rings or other jewelry from injured body part.
Cleanse the wound periphery with soap and sterile water or available solutions, and provide anesthetics and analgesia whenever possible.
Irrigate wounds with saline solution using a large bore needle and syringe. If unavailable, bottled water is acceptable.

Leave contaminated wounds, bites, and punctures open. Wounds that are sutured in an un sterile environment, or are not cleansed, irrigated, and debrided appropriately, are at high risk for infection due to contamination. Wounds that are not closed primarily because of high risk of infection should be considered for delayed primary closure by experienced medical staff using sterile technique.

Remove devitalized tissue and foreign bodies prior to repair as they may increase the incidence of infection.

Clip hair close to the wound, if necessary. Shaving of hair is not necessary, and may increase the chance of wound infection.

Cover wounds with dry dressing; deeper wounds may require packing with saline soaked gauze and subsequent coverage with a dry bulky dressing.

If wound infections develop, and patient shows early to mid signs of mortosis, such as a lowering of temperature, aggressive behavior, confusion, flu symptoms. migraine, hot flushes, aching muscles or a slowing of the heart rate, patient must be secured, tagged, and admitted to quarantine immediately.

Other Considerations
Be vigilant for the presence of other injuries in patients with any wounds.
Ensure adequate referral, follow-ups, and reevaluations whenever possible.
Dirty water and soil and sand can cause infection. Wounds can become contaminated by even very tiny amounts of dirt.

Puncture wounds can carry bits of clothing and debris into wound resulting in infection.

Crush injuries are more susceptible to infection than wounds from shearing forces.

Guidance for Management of Wound Infections
Most wound infections are due to staphylococci and streptococci. This would likely hold true even in an undead outbreak situation.

For initial antimicrobial treatment of infected wounds, beta-lactam antibiotics with anti-staphylococcal activity (cephalexin, dicloxacillin, ampicillin/sulbactam etc.) and clindamycin are recommended options.
Of note, recently an increasing number of community associated skin and soft tissue infections appear to be caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Infections caused by this organism will not respond to treatment with beta-lactam antibiotics and should be considered in patients who fail to respond to this therapy. Treatment options for these community MRSA infections include trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (oral) or vancomycin (intravenous). Clindamycin is also a potential option, but not all isolates are susceptible.
Incision and drainage of any subcutaneous collections of pus (abscesses) is also an important component of treating wound infections.

Partial sources:
6th Edition Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide, 2004
2nd Edition. Sanitation and the undead, 2007
34 th Edition.The Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy, 2004,
2nd Edition Treatment of the Undead. Necro-Mortosis 2006

Category Level 'A'
These high-priority outbreaks pose the highest risk to the public and national security because:

They can be easily spread or transmitted from person to person
They result in high death rates and have the potential for major public health impact
They might cause public panic and social disruption
They require special action for public health preparedness.

Category Level 'B'
These outbreaks are the second highest priority because:

They are moderately easy to spread
They result in a moderate rate of death and/or low death rates
They require specific enhancements of Center for Disease Control's laboratory capacity and enhanced disease monitoring.

Category Level 'C'
These third highest priority outbreaks include emerging threats that could be spread in the future because:

They are easily transferable
They have potential for high morbidity and mortality rates and major health impact.