D&D General D&D World vs. Modern Zombies?

[Cadence]

How much brain do the Cicada fungus "zombies" have?

This fungus turns cicadas into zombies who procreate until they die

Massospora consumes cicadas from the inside out then drives them to mate—in the process making infected males more attractive to both sexes.

www.nationalgeographic.com

I am also now imagining a potential other case where the outbreak is embarrassingly at a necromancers, where they're mixed in with the regular zombies - and where we can imagine a reason why the two kinds have no interest in each other.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

A zombie-like plague in D&D could be caused by agents of Tharizdum, the elder elemental eye, but these would be more elemental-tainted than true undead.

The new Falkovnia is a true zombie-apocalypse.

Cannibal zombies were an official monster in Ravenloft.

If there was a zombie outbreak, the gods would know thanks their prophetic gifts.

When it is too cold, the walls of the cells are frozen and broken. No walking dead could survive the winter.

The zombies not only have got a horrible smell, but their senses and muscles are also rotting. This should mean they are practically blind, deaf and as weak like a druken old man. Without the sense of balance they couldn't even walk standing.

Fungus shouldn't can be affected by the zombie virus or pathogen.

A simple trap for zombies could be a singing canary within a cage, and this hooked in a rope between two roofs. There is a footbridge toward the cage with the canary within, but it is a trap to fall toward the floor. It doesn't need to reload. Illusory magic could be used to trick the zombies and these would to jump off from a bridge, or the window in the top of a tower.

Without enough water the muscles shouldn't can work.

Even the diseases with shortest incubation period need at least two days.

If a ghoul plague could be possible in D&D the evil factions had tried it a lot of times in the past.

No-biological creatures can't be affected, for example constructs and elementals.

If the victim is killed and the blood circulation stops, then the virus can't infect more the body.

* I active five lands of white mana and one land of green mana and then thanks the card "Rose of Guadalupe" I win the game.

 

[GrimCo]

There are also other things going in favour of D&D worlds vs real world.

One is general lack of big population centers. This localises outbreaks to smaller and more manageable ones.

Other is lesser regard for human life. While we, at least in developed countries, put great emphasis on preservation of human life, i can see local lord sending patrol of his troops to cleanse local village with impunity, similar how they dealt in RL peasant revolts. Fire and steel. Kill all, burn all, salt the earth.

And finally, menagerie of monstrosities that don't really find zombies attractive as food source, but they do tap into their food source. I could see pissed off dragon doing a flyby over zombie horde to protect it's food supply (aka local farmers).