Necroa Virus

Necroa Virus
The logo of the Necroa Virus expansion pack
Plague Type:	Special
Special Ability:	Zombie Hordes
Cost:	Complete Neurax Worm (Brutal or Mega Brutal) or $1.99USD (iOS) Complete Prion on Normal (Evolved)
Release date:	February 26, 2013, Version 1.5 (mobile) March 29, 2014, early access evolution 4 (Evolved)

Unclassified. Early analysis suggests extreme regenerative abilities.

The Necroa Virus is an expansion pack that was released with the Mutation 1.5 update. It is a stereotypical zombie virus.

The Necroa Virus is a special plague type that has aggressive metabolic demands, and "extreme regenerative capabilities". Its most notable trait is that when it infects humans and kills them, they will reanimate and become "undead" zombies (if the Cytopathic Reanimation symptom has been evolved via mutation or DNA points). The plague can be unlocked by purchasing it for $1.99 USD, or by beating the Neurax Worm disease type on brutal for mobile devices, or by beating the Prion disease on normal or higher in Plague Inc: Evolved.

Game overview

The Necroa Virus itself is very easy to cure in general. This is countered by Cytopathic Reanimation, which causes any dead infected person thereafter to have the chance to reanimate as a zombie. Zombies cannot be cured. This symptom leads to various abilities and symptoms that will increase the effectiveness, or severity of the zombies. It is useful to evolve this at before 85%, as more time means more zombie foothold.

After a some time, a Z Com base will be installed in a random country, Z Com will try to eradicate your zombies, Z Com will get stronger as time goes by, and will establish additional bases in other healthy countries, affecting the countries they are in. Thus, it is imperative to attack the new and inexperienced Z Com base.

Zombies in a destroyed country starve and die quicker, and Zombie Horde can be used to move. This is indicated by a zombie bubble. Make sure the number of zombies is high before attacking a base, or else they will be massacred. Once Z Com is eliminated, and all humans are either killed or turned into zombies, the game ends and the player wins.

There is also a hidden in-game origin story for the Necroa Virus.

• If Egypt is infected first, a popup may appear saying that explorers are going deeper into the newly-discovered tombs of Giza. The hieroglyphics will warn the explorers of an ancient plague capable of destroying humanity. The mummy excavated will have "strange bite marks". When zombies infect the world, a news headline may pop up saying that the Necroa Virus may have come from the Pyramid of Giza, indicating that the Necroa Virus is much older than Patient Zero.
• If the USA is infected first, a popup can appear saying that DarkWater (scientific research group) is missing a scientist, meaning that Patient Zero could be this scientist. Later on, other popups will say that DarkWater has created the Necroa Virus, and another one saying that they are planning to make a kind of "zombie pacifier".
• If a player infects the UK first, it may say that PfiGlax (another scientific research group) made the Necroa Virus.
• Lastly, if the Plague is started in Ukraine, theories will begin circulating that the Necroa Virus was created by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Each of the storylines will have three achievements for completing it.

In Reality

Cytopathic Reanimation

In the game, Necroa Virus creates zombies by reanimating them using Cytopathic Reanimation. The only problem with this ability is to how and what requirements needed to reanimate a corpse. One of the most possible ways is using electric signals: the virus forms small electrocyte tissues or produces electric signals to stimulate corpses' brains which brings back the dead. Alternatively, It could work in real life by creating a new set of neuron cells just enough for basic human reanimation. The corpse should have its body in at least 50% preserved, the brain must be at least 40% functional or both. The virus can thus reanimate any corpse regardless of condition. Even without heads.

On Zombies

The Zombies of the Plague Inc are able to coordinate in large amounts, possibly making them stronger than other fictitious zombies. Necroa Zombies gain perks by evolving traits in the game. In real life, mutations are only in the offspring. This is explained by the fact that traits do not immediately increase Core stats. Regarding zombie updates, Necroa Virus could carry the genes to the host for mutation.In other words,only the perks at the left side or enchantments that are based on nutrient flow is accurate (including the left half of the "6-hexagon group" from the middle-below, which the "tips" are not counted inside).

About cell activity, body maintenance and nutrient flow, it could be that the semi-functional brain is being halfy-dominated by the virus' DNA copy, making the brain to do whatever the DNA code says. The virus could also as the undead host's white blood Cells as evidenced the fact that there is an upgrade that prevent anaerobic microorganisms from digesting proteins by the viruses themselves. Zombies aren't self-sustaining. Their metabolism has been stopped since their first death and cannot be restored. Besides, their digestive system might be partially decomposed, so they may not be able to absorb nutrients. Also, in the game, zombies decay in extreme environments. Already, it gets decayed by microorganisms using direct decomposition or enzymes. Hot and humid climates provide a perfect environment for bacteria to thrive; cold climates could make their bones brittle, counteracted by a symptom which concentrates carbon in the bones.

In real life Naja Mortis is present in spitting cobras that spit out venom for self-defense; fulmars that puke out sticky grease and pigmy short-horned lizards that spray blood from its eyes. Naja Mortis in the game could be explained by hydrochloric acid, which comes from our stomachs to enemies. For long-distance travel, pheromones or hormones are a possible explanation. This can be shown in animals, for certain purposes. The brain is restored somewhat, which would form a part of why they are able to coordinate in groups. Necroa Zombies are quite intelligent, as by how they cross water. they do it by walking along the path that consists of their drowned comrades. This might be because of the regeneration of neurons. Also, the Autothysis upgrade allows for zombies to explode themselves to infect other people.

If the Necroa Virus is properly controlled or neutralized, its regenerative abilities might become the important key to unlock biological immortality or prevent brain death, for humans. Also, it is possible to derive a life restoring substance from the virus.

• Transmissions
• Symptoms
• Abilities
• Positive attributes
• Negative attributes

The Necroa Virus starts with four unique transmission options: Zoonotic Shift, Blood 1, Saliva 1, and Segmented Genome. All of these options run the risk of revealing the disease early, as they increase the likelihood of mutations and thus should be used only to accelerate the amount of infected players have right before they unleash zombies on the world, and their plague has been revealed.

As its name suggests, Zoonotic Shift is needed to gain access to Bird 1, Insect, Rodent 1, Bat 1, and their respective tier 2. Blood 1 is needed to gain access to Air 1, and can be connected to the Saliva 1 transmission tree by Urogenital Expansion. Both the Blood 1 and Saliva 1 transmission trees increase infectivity through the blood and bodily fluids, as well through air and water. Segmented Genome only increases the likelihood of mutations.

• Zoonotic Shift: Genetic shift in the virus increase infectivity, mutation chance, and makes cross species infection possible. Increases future research speed.
• Bat 1: Host range broadens to include bats, which are hard to detect. Increases infectivity and mutation chance.
• Bat 2: Partial genetic activation causes bats to mob and attack humans at night. Sign efficiently increases infectivity and attacks can be lethal.
• Rodent 1: Host range broadens to include rats. Increases infectivity, especially in urban regions.
• Rodent 2: Partial genetic activation causes rat packs to attack humans. Significantly increases infectivity, especially in urban regions.
• Bird 1: Host range broadens to include birds. Increases infectivity, land transmission, and mutation chance.
• Bird 2: Partial genetic activation triggers random bird attack on humans. Significantly increases infectivity and land transmission.
• Insect: Insects susceptible to infection. Carriers increase infectivity, especially in hot climates and chance of mutation.
• Saliva 1: Virus replicates faster in salivary glands - increasing chance of infection through contact with saliva.
• Saliva 2: Virus replicates directly in nasal cavity - significantly increasing chances of infection through contact with mucus.
• Gastrointestinal Expansion: Virus can replicate in stomach and intestines, increasing infectiousness through feces and vomit.
• Water 1: Virus can survive outside the body in fresh, warm water. Increase in infectivity, especially in humid environments and ship transmission.
• Water 2: Virus able to survive in chemically treated water. Increase infectivity, especially in humid environments and ship transmission.
• Urogenital Expansion: Virus can replicate in kidneys and urinary tract, increasing infectiousness through urine and bodily fluids.
• Blood 1: Virus enters the circulatory system, blood is now a transmission vector. Poor countries particularly vulnerable.
• Blood 2: Virus can replicate directly in the blood stream, significantly increasing infectivity. Poor countries particularly vulnerable
• Air 1: Virus bypasses alveolar macrophages in lungs to enter bloodstream. Increase infectivity, especially in arid environments and plane transmission.
• Air 2: Virus can travel on dust particles. Increases infectivity, especially in arid environments and plane transmission.
• Air 3: Virus replicates rapidly in aerosolised brain matter. Significantly increases risk of infection if interacting with zombie brains.
• Segmented Genome: Virus splits its genomes into smaller molecules - increasing the likelihood of a viable mutation during transmission.

The Necroa Virus starts off with the Insomnia and Hyper Salivation trees. The disease itself gives the player two options, unlike the usual one, of wiping out humanity to complete the game: the first, and more difficult one, is infecting all of humanity and just killing them through lethal symptoms (Cannibalism, Psychosis, etc.). The second and easier, but still challenging one, is using the Cytopathic Reanimation symptom to produce zombies and then using them to annihilate humanity.

Using the first choice, the symptoms deal with the mental state and metabolic abilities of the infected. The second choice is unique, as it brings a whole new tree of symptoms once zombies are unleashed on the world. These symptoms, however, don't hinder or damage the zombies due to their unique condition. Instead, these symptoms actually improve the abilities of the zombies. Such symptoms include:

• Hyper Salivation: Inflammation of the submandibular gland increases saliva production and infection rates
• Insomnia: Inability to sleep causes irritability and tiredness. Slows future research speed
• Fever: Increase in temperature causes general feeling of sickness and reduces concentration. Slows future research speed
• Polyphagia: Compulsive hunger forces continuous eating. Lack of hygiene increases risk of infection.
• Photophobia: Sensitivity and pain when eyes exposed to sunlight. Slows future research speed, but slightly reduces infection rates
• Gastroenteritis: Inflammation of the GI tract causes frequent vomiting. Significantly increases infection rates
• Delirium: Reduction in cognitive functions causes irritability and paranoia. Can be fatal and slows future research speed
• Coma: Pressure build-ups in the brains stem can cause loss of consciousness. Significantly slows future research speed, but reduces infection rates
• Cannibalism: Extreme compulsion to bite and eat other humans - significantly increases infectivity as well as lethality
• Psychosis: Psychotic episodes lead to occasional bursts of extreme violence, which can be lethal. Increases infectivity and slows future research speed
• Autophagia: Compulsion to bite or partially devour own body - typically fingers or own skin. Increases infection rates
• Acute Encephalitis: Multiple inflammatory lesions in the brain causes severe neurological damage resulting in death.

Zombie Symptoms

• Cytopathic Reanimation: Formation of complex neural structures enables re-animation of damaged cells and restoration of low level vitals. Turns the dead into zombies. This trait activates the zombies
• Anaerobic Resuscitation: Infected brain cells switch to anaerobic respiration. Lactic acid buildup is lethal and destroys higher brain processes and personality.
• Enhanced Sensory Integration: Nutrient flow to occipital and temporal lobes increased causing enhanced sight and hearing. Increases severity.
• Enhanced Motor Control: Nutrient flow to parietal lobe increased, improving movement and coordination. Increases severity, particularly in urban environments.
• Hyperosmia: Thinning of nasal epithelium significantly increases zombie sense of smell. Increases severity.
• Temporal Lobe Manipulation: Zombies attracted to movement and will abandon victims once dead. Prey more likely to remain and become a zombie.
• Adrenal Surge: Mutation of the adrenal cortex causes adrenaline over-production. Increases alertness and aggression of zombies.
• Masticatory Tension: Masticatory muscles become engorged, allowing zombie to bite through thick clothing. Severity increased.
• Peptide Surge: Growth hormone production triggers extreme metabolism of fat to build muscle. Enhanced strength, increases severity.
• Cathemeral Shift: Stimulation of primary visual cortex improves vision in bright sunlight. Significantly increases severity.
• Lumbrical Hypertrophy: Significantly strengthens zombie grip making it nearly impossible for prey to break free. Severity significantly increased.
• Anabolic Boost: Surges of testosterone significantly increases muscle mass and weight of some zombies. Severity significantly increased.
• Acidic Reflux: Extreme laryngopharyngeal reflux causes acidic saliva. Increases severity and gives zombies combat advantage.
• Dermal Calcification: Mutations in the endocrine system cause parts of the skin to harden and calcify. Gives zombies combat advantage. 
• Vampiric Hunger: Some zombies prefer to suck the blood from its prey rather then eat its flesh. Prey more likely to remain intact and become a zombie.
• Naja Mortis: Muscle growth around the submandibular duct lets some zombies projectile spit at prey. Increase severity and zombie combat advantage.
• Cranial Elephantitis: Adenoma triggers mutated growth hormones, which encourage bone growth in the skull. Gives zombies combat advantage.
• Autothysis: Explosive mix of hydrogen sulfide and methane collects inside zombie. Significantly increases severity and zombie combat advantage.
• Bone Dysplasia: Increased bone density provides enhanced protection against trauma. Gives zombie combat advantage.

At the start of the game, players will only have access to the basic three abilities of Heat Resistance 1, Cold Resistance 1, and Drug Resistance 1, as well as their trees. 

• Cold Resistance 1: Pathogen evolves to withstand cold temperatures and climates.
• Cold Resistance 2: Lower intracellular water volume prevents freezing. Increased effectiveness in cold climates.
• Heat Resistance 1: Pathogen evolves to withstand hot temperatures and climates.
• Heat Resistance 2: Pathogen avoids cellular breakdown in high temperature. Increased effectiveness in hot climates.
• Drug Resistance 1: Pathogen becomes resistant to class 1 and class 2 antivirals. Increase effectiveness in wealthy countries.
• Drug Resistance 2: Pathogen develops resistance to class 3 and class 4 antivirals. Increase effectiveness in wealthy countries.
• Genetic Hardening: Pathogen becomes harder to analyze in lab. Decrease future research speed.
• Genetic ReShuffle 1: Pathogen DNA strands reassembled. More work needed to develop cure.
• Genetic ReShuffle 2: A new strain of the pathogen exists, increasing work needed to develop a cure.

Unique Abilities

• Mummification: A severely decayed zombie is able to enter a state of hibernation. Reduces rate of zombie decay.
• Horde Instinct: Active ability lets zombies form hordes to travel across land and water to attack new lands.
• Horde Mentality: Zombies more likely to follow others. Zombie horde size increases into the thousands.
• Horde Vocalisation: Horde leaders attract nearby zombies with distinctive moans. Hordes can have hundreds of thousands of zombies.
• Horde Pheromones: Horde leaders produce pheromones to attract zombies to them. Zombie hordes can be millions strong or more.
• Structured Travel: Zombies focus on horde leaders - focusing the horde on the direction of travel and increasing travel speed.
• Drifting Fermentation: Controlled decomposition causes zombies to bloat. Horde can drift in sea currents - significantly increasing ocean travel speed.
• Dyskinetic Movement: Involuntary movements keep zombie coordinated with the horde - improving movement speed.
• Echopraxia Frontal lobe damage causes infected to mimic each others' movement patterns, improving navigation of obstacles and overall speed of horde.
• Engorged Quadriceps: Nutrients are stripped from other parts of the corpse and used to repair leg muscles to improve horde speed.
• Autolytic Decay: Virus slows release of digestive enzymes from cells' lysosomes - slowing decomposition of corpse.
• Putrefactive Resistance: Virus prevents anaerobic microorganisms from digesting proteins - slowing decomposition of corpse.
• Liquefactive Resistance: Virus denatures hydrolytic enzymes, slowing liquefactive necrosis and decomposition of corpse.
• Regenerative Activation: Active ability enables neurological regeneration in the brains of infected corpses - effectively reanimating some of the dead.
• Ambush Predation: Reanimated zombies often remain still - waiting for humans to approach them. Reanimated zombies get combat advantage.
• Liquefactive Necrosis: Reanimated zombies have partially liquefied internal organs, which rupture easily. Reanimated zombies get combat advantage.
• Regenerative Bio-Synthesis: Enhanced neurological regenerative proteins allow corpses with severe head injuries to be reanimated.
• Epidermal Digestion: Digestive enzymes break down the skin of the corpse to provide nutrients. Enables reanimation of severely mutilated corpses.
• Cranial Metastasis: Partial neuron development triggered in the lungs - allowing some decapitated corpses to reanimate.

Active Abilities

Like the Trojan Planes active ability in Neurax Worm, the Zombie Horde active ability allows the player move large groups of zombies from one place to another. It is quite effective in infecting hard-to-reach countries, as well overwhelming countries, especially ones where Z Com is established. Its abilities both increase the horde's travel speed and travel effectiveness when crossing oceans, as well as increasing the horde's size and coordination to the point where the final abilities in its tree of this type allows hordes to number in the millions.  Finally, the Reanimate active ability allows for the reanimation of deceased zombies and corpses. This ability is effective in replenishing destroyed countries by zombie populations for attacks on other healthier ones, as well as wearing out the Z Com when your initial zombie force proves to be ineffective in overwhelming them at first. Its upgrades continue to improve the combat effectiveness and abilities of the zombies reanimated.

While the Necroa Virus is relatively easy to cure, once the Cytopathic Reanimation symptom has been evolved, the cure becomes useless as the resulting zombies are already dead and act as aggressive vectors for the virus. Over the course of the game while playing this disease type, one can amass a large amount of DNA, which can be incredibly useful to those trying to obtain a victory with no zombies, or improve and evolve the zombies to quickly decimate human populations. The zombie symptoms prove to be very useful in improving their combat effectiveness and severity against humans.

Active Abilities also allow for the player to infect (and destroy) healthy countries by moving zombie hordes there, as well as reanimating the dead. As with the Simian Flu and the Neurax Worm, the Necroa Virus' Active Abilities can be used to enter, infect and destroy countries that have shut their borders. It can also allow zombies to do whatever they are incapable of doing such as going across oceans to attack countries.

For this plague type, transmissions increase the chance of symptom mutation. As a result, few transmissions can be purchased in order to prevent mutation that could risk early detection, which is an advantage that one should keep as long as possible due to the disease being very easy to detect in early stages and the cure developing very fast, especially when severity and lethality are high.

With this said, it is very difficult even on Casual difficulty to win with no zombies, in order to unlock the Not Another Zombie Game achievement (Win the game without creating zombies). This is due to the player's plague having to be in a constant state of incognito for it to infect a sizable portion of the world population, something the Necroa Virus isn't particularly good at.

Strategies

Please see Necroa Virus Strategy Guides.

Necroa Virus theme

Plague Inc. (and Evolved)

Gallery

The Necroa Virus flag in the main menu

WARNING : Necroa Virus identified (popup)

Z Com fort in Plague Inc: Evolved

Destroyed Z Com fort in Plague Inc: Evolved

An active Z Com fort

A destroyed Z Com fort

Z Com plane in Plague Inc: Evolved

A Z Com plane

The Active Abilities sidebar in Plague Inc: Evolved

Horde Ability

Reanimation Ability

Target Ability (unused)

Zombie Magnet Ability (unused)

Zombie Bubble (a new type of bubble that signals a destroyed country and it also gives you DNA Points)

Horde Bonus (from the horde ability, you control where it goes)

A horde targeting a country after using the horde bonus ability

Destroyed city (popup)

Z Com fort destroyed or breached (popup)

Z Com Soldier (popup)

DarkWater (popup)

Horde (popup)

The Infected bar becomes the Zombies bar, upon evolving to Cytopathic Reanimation

A screenshot of the Necroa Virus in Plague Inc: Evolved

Description of Necroa Virus game mode on mobile version

Stages of infectivity

Stage 1 (Mobile)

Stage 2 (Mobile)

Stage 3 (Mobile)

Stage 4 (Mobile)

Stage 5 (Mobile)

Stage 6 (Mobile)

Final Stage (Mobile)

Stage 1 (Plague Inc: Evolved)

Stage 2 (Plague Inc: Evolved)

Stage 3 (Plague Inc: Evolved)

Stage 4 (Plague Inc: Evolved)

Stage 5 (Plague Inc: Evolved)

Final Stage (Plague Inc. Evolved)

References

Special Plague Types
Neurax Worm	Necroa Virus	Simian Flu	Shadow Plague