The neural scan is not fatal (indeed, not even detectable) to the target creature, since the zett'lbug perishes harmlessly shortly after it completes its transmission. However, a Kur'Pupu invariably kills the target creature just before or just after its shapeshift, presumably to eliminate the confusion of having two "copies" of the same creature walking around. Often, this is done via a slow-acting poison while the neural scan is in progress.
