End of the world comes May 21st, Harold Camping says: CDC focused on zombie attack

(CBS) May 21st may or may not mark the end of the world, as gravelly voiced radio evangelist Harold Camping has famously predicted. But Uncle Sam is offering its help the fearful, putting together a tongue-in-cheek action plan for surviving another dreaded doomsday scenario:

A "zombie apocalypse."

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"You may laugh now, but when it happens you'll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you'll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency," Assistant Surgeon General Dr. Ali S. Khan wrote in an article posted on the CDC website.

Khan said it's a good idea to keep an emergency kit in the house to "get you through the first couple of days before you can locate a zombie-free refugee camp." Of course, he says, the emergency kit would also come in handy in the event of disasters that don't involve the walking undead - things like floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes.

He goes on to give specific steps to take once flesh-eating zombies show up, concluding with a bit of reassurance about how the CDC would respond.

"If zombies did start roaming the streets, CDC would conduct an investigation much like any other disease outbreak," Khan wrote. "CDC would provide technical assistance to cities, states, or international partners dealing with a zombie infestation."

Are you prepared?