[_Ghost_]

Around the first season (I believe), we found out that the virus was airborne and whoever died would turn, even if not bit.  Prior to knowing that, the characters checked walkers for bites and scratches and always said and thought that the virus was only transmittable through bites and scratches.  What I want to know is: Is the virus actually transmittable via scratch?  The way I see it, the scratch transmission theory was just an excuse for the people who turned without being bit.  The scratches theory is never again brought up after Rick reveals that the virus is airborne.

[omegaman]

There is no need to transmit the virus. Everyone already has it inside them. The bites do not cause the zombie virus to spread, they cause death through some sort of infection and fever which in turn make the virus activate from being dormant.  Scratches don't seem to kill.

[Immune10]

Just jim

[omegaman]

Seemed to me Jim was bit.

[bdizzle1686]

Just jim

Jim was never scratched, he was very clearly bitten, as shown in beginning of s1ep5 wildfire. The only actual time we've seen someone scratched was Big Tiny back in Season 3, and we didn't get to see the actual results of it, as Thomas killed him literally minutes after it happened

[bdizzle1686]

Just jim

Jim was never scratched, he was very clearly bitten, as shown in beginning of s1ep5 wildfire. The only actual time we've seen someone scratched was Big Tiny back in Season 3, and we didn't get to see the actual results of it, as Thomas killed him literally minutes after it happened

[Chinghis]

Around the first season (I believe), we found out that the virus was airborne and whoever died would turn, even if not bit.  Prior to knowing that, the characters checked walkers for bites and scratches and always said and thought that the virus was only transmittable through bites and scratches.  What I want to know is: Is the virus actually transmittable via scratch?  The way I see it, the scratch transmission theory was just an excuse for the people who turned without being bit.  The scratches theory is never again brought up after Rick reveals that the virus is airborne.

Airborne? I don't believe they've ever established that, or that Rick revealed that. He simply revealed that they're all infected somehow, vector unknown.

 

I believe the fear of scratches came from the Romero world, in which scratches were a means of transmission and clearly fatal. Either the creators were unsure if they wanted to go that route for the first season, or were simply playing off of what we thought we knew about zombies to heighten the fear factor.

[_Ghost_]

Rick revealed to the group that the virus was airborne after they left the science lab which the only scientist left blew up. Before they left the lab, the scientist told Rick and Rick held back on telling the group because he didn't actually know if the scientist was right. After Shane died, he knew it was and shortly after revealed the truth behind the virus spread.

[Logan5]

Rick revealed to the group that the virus was airborne after they left the science lab which the only scientist left blew up. Before they left the lab, the scientist told Rick and Rick held back on telling the group because he didn't actually know if the scientist was right. After Shane died, he knew it was and shortly after revealed the truth behind the virus spread.

 

I know Rick revealed they were all infected, but I am pretty sure he never said anything about it being airborne. 

[_Ghost_]

Honestly, even if he didn't reveal it, the viewer has to assume so. I mean, how else would everyone in the world be infected? Can't be gentic due to how such had never occured before. It's an airborne virus.

[Logan5]

I'm not sure how everyone could be infected, but I like the idea they purposely left it unanswered. It allows everyone to have their own theory on what it is and how it spread. It could be a virus and could be airborne, or not. 

[Hint_Of_Beetroot]

I like it being unanswered. Especially as I'm beginning to distrust the path the show's going down....

 

So far, no one has been scratched and infected/ killed. It's just bites.

 

BTW, those eaten by walkers don't always turn. Please advise....

 

Last point, maybe off-topic. I think the ZA happened thanks to two factors:

 

1. Some infection of the human species (not transmissible to either birds or pigs...) that embedded the walker virus.

2. A pandemic that killed people, who then turned into walkers.

 

This would cover the math on why the world would go T/U over some shambling, rotting idiots with and breath.