LQP-79 is a fictional virus that briefly convinced the internet the zombie apocalypse had begun.
In May 2012, a man in Miami attacked another man and was shot by police. The incident was horrific, and early reports were chaotic. Within hours, a hoax spread online: the attacker had been infected with a government-created virus called LQP-79 that caused cannibalistic rage.
The name sounded official. The story had details — a CDC cover-up, lab leaks, patient zero. But none of it was real. No such virus exists. The CDC never confirmed it. The “LQP-79” label was fabricated entirely by internet pranksters and conspiracy forums.
The actual cause of the attack was drugs, specifically bath salts, though even that was later debated. But the hoax traveled faster than the facts. For a few days, “zombie virus” was trending.
LQP-79 is a case study in how quickly fiction can dress itself in science and spread panic. The virus never existed. But the fear was real enough.