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VIRAL PROFILE
The damage done by a virus can be a general measure of how long a virus has been infecting a particular species. Violent hemorrhagic viruses such as Ebola are assumed to have made the jump from animals to humans relatively recently because they kill their hosts rapidly, and a virus within a dead host is not able to reproduce or spread itself. At the other end of the spectrum are symbiotic viruses, which increase the evolutionary fitness of the host in order to promote its own reproduction.
The extreme advantages conferred upon those some of those infected by this virus suggest that it has been present in humans for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years. An analysis of historical case studies provides further support for this claim by confirming that the strain has mutated over many generations, developing resistance to substances which may have once slowed or killed it.
INFECTION & TRANSMISSION
Upon infection, the virus spreads through the bloodstream and interferes with the body's ability to make hemoglobin. Without hemoglobin, red blood cells do not form properly and cannot carry sufficient oxygen, causing a pervasive anemia that requires lifelong blood transfusions. These transfusions provide the patient with a temporary supply of healthy red blood cells with normal hemoglobin, capable of carrying the oxygen that the body needs. Without this treatment subjects become weak, pale, and may reject solid foods.
Once in the brain, the virus resembles rabies in that it is programmed to infect the brain centers that induce aggression and the urge to bite others. Simultaneously it infects the salivary glands, where it may be transmitted to others through bites. For these reasons, the name "Sanguinofamia Mordens" or SFM is suggested. Symbiotic enhancement of the host promotes transmission of the virus in the following ways:
SYMPTOMS CHRONIC VS. CARRIER STATES The key difference between the development of the carrier state (vs. the chronic) appears to be that the subject has retained enough of his own blood to both fight the infection with white blood cells, and manufacture enough healthy hemoglobin to sustain physiological functioning. With the immune system reducing the viral load, the psychological effects such as the urge to bite are reduced; while the limited production of healthy hemoglobin reduces the constant need for fresh blood. However, it is important to note that although reduced, no symptom is entirely absent in the carrier state. Responsible for this research is Dr. Jessica Cail who receives funding from an unknown source to continue her research and formulate a cure for the virus. |