One of the problems you might have going with zombies is that they become a bit too predictable. Your original zombie was a Voodoo zombie, and the way you dealt with it was by feeding it salted meat. Today, we usually think of zombies as the Romero zombies- kill them with a head shot, and they either run or walk. But then there are the 28 Day Later zombies- which can die of starvation and are spread by contagion. In Fallout, they use various forms of feral and non-feral ghouls, which live forever but don't necessarily eat meat, are not really 'undead' but really suffered a set of consequences from a release of Fast Evolutionary Virus (FEV).
But Modern anthropologists have identified another type of zombiefication- for mostly African workers who spent long hours working underground in African mines and came up looking and acting like zombies.
So if you go with zombies, I would think you should go with something that is yours. Create a concept or a creature that satisfies the things you like.
I have used Maggots- and these were essentially creatures that were forced underground during nuclear winter and suffered from both genetic mutations and madness and so devolved into something more primative. They are fierce, carnivorous and capable night hunters, with excellent night vision, sense of smell and hearing but avoid sunlight. They tend to hunt in large packs or often form small colonies. Often found in major cities and towns- they are a reason why one should not venture into underground sewer systems or subways and why you probably want to leave the city before night falls. One might think of these as area denying creatures.
I have also used a creature that was based somewhat on Crighton's book prey- essentially a nanotech robot that operates in a swarm but which can inhabit and possess human beings - so this is more like a techno form of demonic possession.
One can imagine a weed like creature that sends a poison into the air that causes brain damage and blindness, turning people into carnivores that will eat just about anything they hear or smell. Or a DARPA derived weapons system- a sonic frequency that turns people into zombies. IN the Strain, those little white worms are causing some kind of problem. Or....
You can refer to World War Z (the book not the movie) and you've got a long-lasting Romero type zombie from Night of the Living Dead. I think there is a variety of things you might want to introduce to this story to make it more your own and push forward the plot.
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