Methods of infection.

[Treads Lightly]

I posted something similar in another thread, but it seems appropriate here too.

Some people can act as a host for certain viruses while not actually suffering any effects of the virus. If the majority of the human population “could” be carriers and not become werewolves themselves, it would help explain why it is relatively easy to catch but still unknown. It would also go a way to explain the rarity of werewolves in general.

[Apokryltaros]

I posted something similar in another thread, but it seems appropriate here too.

Some people can act as a host for certain viruses while not actually suffering any effects of the virus. If the majority of the human population “could” be carriers and not become werewolves themselves, it would help explain why it is relatively easy to catch but still unknown. It would also go a way to explain the rarity of werewolves in general.

Actually, carriers of disease don't work that way.
A carrier of a pathogen transmits the disease-causing agent, without being affected by it, but, one quickly notices a carrier's handywork. After all, everyone remembers "Typhoid Mary," yes? Things would get a lot hairier if lycanthropy were involved, and pardon the pun.

It could be that the infectious agent of lycanthropy causes an allergic, or an immune response in most people that quickly prevents them from being infected with lycanthropy. Only those few people who aren't allergic stand the chance of being infected.

[drterylene]

[quote="Vuldari"]To be kind to the people who have to make the special effects for this movie, I would advise against makeing Lycanthropy as easy to pass on as "sharing a Coke". Having packs of new Werewolves running around everywhere would suck up the SFX budget really quick.

Although, I do find the idea amusing. Maybe someday...in another movie... :D[/quote]

I probably didn't explain it too well, but when I said passing it on easily like "sharing a coke" and some of the other means of transferral, I didn't necessarily mean that it would be automatic. Just because someone sneezes next to you on the train does not mean you're going to contract any of their germs. Likewise, just because someone shares a Coke with an "infected" werewolf prior to their change, it doesn't mean the "virus" is definitely passed on.

By looking at it this way, it adds even more suspense. You know the "virus" can be passed on this way, you see them sharing the Coke or being sneezed on, etc., and now the question is raised, "Are they infected or did they just dodge a bullet?" Consequently, this also helps to keep the SFX budget down since not everyone is running around town turning into werewolves.

[NightmareHero]

I don't think of werewolfism as a disease, or a curse, but maybe some type of one celled virus that mutated inside of a normal wolf in ages past. The virus took some of the wolf's genes, and was then passed to a human by biting. The virus integrated itself into the human's DNA and thus made the virus AND the wolf DNA a part of the humans genetic makeup, allowing for it to be passed.

Um, a virus is not a cell, and all virii cause disease. It is true that some virii can introduce new DNA sequences into a new host from a previous, though. In most cases, though, these virii cause cancers as a result.

then maybe perhaps a one celled bacteria that acted like a virus. "Viral Bacteria" bacteria that is readily present in transformed werewolves mouths.

A bacterium does not act like a virus.
A bacterium, unlike a virus, is alive, and has its own cytoplasm and all bacteria are one-celled..

Well I don't know what you would call it then, save that it has the DNA inherent in itself of its virus and wolf DNA, maybe its not single celled, but it would readily available in the mouth of a transformed wolf.

[WolvenOne]

It could be that the infectious agent of lycanthropy causes an allergic, or an immune response in most people that quickly prevents them from being infected with lycanthropy. Only those few people who aren't allergic stand the chance of being infected.

That's one potential way to go, though I really don't like the idea of the vast majority of people being "immune," per-say. Simply put, I find the "contagious," aspect of werewolfism to be extremly interesting.

Here's an idea.

Lets say that Werewolfism, is a two stage virus. During the first stage, you get a general boost in matabolism, but that's about it. Then you reach the second stage, and that's the part where you are actually are considered a werewolf and can change and all that.

What I prepose exactly, is that for an unknown reason, some people simply don't reach this second stage very quickly. Most would reach stage two within a month of the initial infection, but, every once in awhile, the infection just seems to hit somebody that doesn't reach the final stage very quickly.

Such a person, could go months, years, heck maybe even decades before finally reaching the final stage, and during that time, they could inadvertently infect dozens.

This idea isn't without real life merit, as aids works similerly. Infact that's one of the reasons aids is so deadly. The Ebola virus, although far more dramatic, is considered a lot less dangerous, because after getting it, people start showing symptoms very quickly, and often die within a week. Where-as, people with aids, sometimes go years without showing any symptoms at all.

Anyhow, I'm not an expert on aids, but, hopefully that'll give you all something to think about.

[Apokryltaros]

While some viral diseases do have asymptomatic but infectious stages, the idea of a guy infecting people with lycanthropy before he manifests symptoms himself doesn't really sit well with me.

But then again, I do like the other parts of your idea, WolvenOne.
Some virii have a dormant stage, or "provirus" stage, where, after the virus has inserted its genome into its host cell's genome, the cell then does not produce viruses, but continues on with its normal functions, and even divides later, all while carrying the virus' genome. Sometimes, the virus genome causes no effect, sometimes, it causes the cell to become cancerous, other times, it even mutates the cell in other ways, like the way biologists use altered retroviruses to introduce new genes into plants and animals.
I'd recommend that the werewolf virus have this third function.

[NightmareHero]

I don't think of werewolfism as a disease, or a curse, but maybe some type of one celled virus that mutated inside of a normal wolf in ages past. The virus took some of the wolf's genes, and was then passed to a human by biting. The virus integrated itself into the human's DNA and thus made the virus AND the wolf DNA a part of the humans genetic makeup, allowing for it to be passed.

Um, a virus is not a cell, and all virii cause disease. It is true that some virii can introduce new DNA sequences into a new host from a previous, though. In most cases, though, these virii cause cancers as a result.

I've been thinking about what you said, and you're right, a virus isn't a cell, but this "disease" doesn't necessarily kill their host, but enhances their genetic structure, making them stronger, able to hear, smell, see better. I would hardly call that a virus. Someone mentioned something about retrovirus. Perhaps if the creators of the movie are going to refer to the cause of werewolfism repeatedly in this movie, then they should label it something other than virus, so as to not associate it with a disease that makes the host "weaker"

I nominate that the correct term to refer to werewolfism in scientific jargon without going into too much technobable be.... Hereditary RETROvirus

[Apokryltaros]

Not all viruses kill their hosts.
Not all diseases kill their hosts, either.
It depends on the virulence of the disease, on whether or not the host is killed.
In some cases, the cell continues to live while it continues to produce and bud off more infectious viruses.

"Retrovirus" is a virus that uses an enzyme, "reverse transcriptase," to insert its RNA genome into the DNA of its host.
And to get scientific, the correct term for "werewolfism" is "Lycanthropy"

[WolvenOne]

However, if the infected cells, don't create more virii, then how could werewolves infect others even after thier symptoms surface?

(sorry, I'm not an expert on virii.)

Anyhow, I do still like the dorment stage idea. Though I will reiterate that such stage would only last a few weeks for most people. Only a very small fraction would have a dorment stage beyond a few weeks, otherwise it'd be far too easy for this virus to spread to a large portion of the population.

[Apokryltaros]

Some viruses don't need to kill/rupture/lyse their host cell in order to release the new viruses, they can simply cause the host cell to bud them off.

[WolvenOne]

The correct scientific terminalogy of a werewolf virus, should probably stick to the forum on.

I'm still of the opinion that the werewolves wouldn't have the resources to figure out what exactly makes them tick. So I imagine that werewolves argue this subject quite a lot..

[Apokryltaros]

The correct scientific terminalogy of a werewolf virus, should probably stick to the forum on.

I'm still of the opinion that the werewolves wouldn't have the resources to figure out what exactly makes them tick. So I imagine that werewolves argue this subject quite a lot..

Hmmmm...
Lycavirus?

And I would strongly doubt that the average werewolf would know how to operate an electron microscope, let alone come into contact with one. Perhaps they think the culprit is microscopic chibi-demons dancing in a conga line?

[Guest]

So next thing.. What makes you a werewolf.. some like genetics, some like the bite.. and if you're bitten and the next full moon you become a werewolf.. what happens if you're bitten DURING a full moon, under it.. would you change then?

One of the students in my anthropology class did an ethnography on local weres. She asked this question, and the were she was talking to laughed.

"Does being bitten by a Chinese person turn you Chinese?" she said.

I thought it was a good anwer. Either you are, or you aren't.

[NightmareHero]

So next thing.. What makes you a werewolf.. some like genetics, some like the bite.. and if you're bitten and the next full moon you become a werewolf.. what happens if you're bitten DURING a full moon, under it.. would you change then?

One of the students in my anthropology class did an ethnography on local weres. She asked this question, and the were she was talking to laughed.

"Does being bitten by a Chinese person turn you Chinese?" she said.

I thought it was a good anwer. Either you are, or you aren't.

Good point, but Chinese don't carry a virus with their DNA that infects others and changes them to incorporate that DNA. Also regarding Calypso's question, I think the virus should take several days to works its way to every cell of the body, as an ordianary virus does. So the bitten shouldn't automatically transform during the full moon. There has to be time taken for plausibility.

[Vuldari]

So next thing.. What makes you a werewolf.. some like genetics, some like the bite.. and if you're bitten and the next full moon you become a werewolf.. what happens if you're bitten DURING a full moon, under it.. would you change then?

One of the students in my anthropology class did an ethnography on local weres. She asked this question, and the were she was talking to laughed.

"Does being bitten by a Chinese person turn you Chinese?" she said.

I thought it was a good anwer. Either you are, or you aren't.

Ahh...I was wondering when that would come up. The "Weres" being referred to here are also known as "therians" in some circles, whereas the people believe they are animals in human bodies. Being bitten by a Therian does not make you one...but full-fledged mythical werewolves...

[Apokryltaros]

So next thing.. What makes you a werewolf.. some like genetics, some like the bite.. and if you're bitten and the next full moon you become a werewolf.. what happens if you're bitten DURING a full moon, under it.. would you change then?

One of the students in my anthropology class did an ethnography on local weres. She asked this question, and the were she was talking to laughed.

"Does being bitten by a Chinese person turn you Chinese?" she said.

I thought it was a good anwer. Either you are, or you aren't.

Good point, but Chinese don't carry a virus with their DNA that infects others and changes them to incorporate that DNA. Also regarding Calypso's question, I think the virus should take several days to works its way to every cell of the body, as an ordianary virus does. So the bitten shouldn't automatically transform during the full moon. There has to be time taken for plausibility.

The Chinese don't need a virus...
They have something infinitely better...
In English, it's called "Monosodium Glutamate"

[ABrownrigg]

Hmm

[Figarou]

So next thing.. What makes you a werewolf.. some like genetics, some like the bite.. and if you're bitten and the next full moon you become a werewolf.. what happens if you're bitten DURING a full moon, under it.. would you change then?

One of the students in my anthropology class did an ethnography on local weres. She asked this question, and the were she was talking to laughed.

"Does being bitten by a Chinese person turn you Chinese?" she said.

I thought it was a good anwer. Either you are, or you aren't.

HUH?!?

So what happens when you bite yourself?

[Apokryltaros]

So next thing.. What makes you a werewolf.. some like genetics, some like the bite.. and if you're bitten and the next full moon you become a werewolf.. what happens if you're bitten DURING a full moon, under it.. would you change then?

One of the students in my anthropology class did an ethnography on local weres. She asked this question, and the were she was talking to laughed.

"Does being bitten by a Chinese person turn you Chinese?" she said.

I thought it was a good anwer. Either you are, or you aren't.

HUH?!?

So what happens when you bite yourself?

In my case, I break out in a rash.

[Kzinistzerg]

I my universe, it was a blood-transmitted virus, and the change was caused by reaction to a particular property of the moon's sand...

Blood-transmitted is my vote.

[Scott Gardener]

You can't acquire lycanthropy with a simple hand-shake. It can only be spread by sexual intercourse, the use of contaminated needles, from mother to child, or from the bite of an infected individual...

I'm sure there would be the urban legend of the person getting lycanthropy from a mosquito bite or from a dentist.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

In some films it is aquired by a scratch from a claw. How would werewolf blood get into it ?

[Apokryltaros]

In some films it is aquired by a scratch from a claw. How would werewolf blood get into it ?

Either the werewolf's "curse" can be spread to those who simply survive being attacked, or that there are traces of blood on the claw, when the werewolf changes from human to werewolf.

[Mitternacht]

I wrestled with this while writing a short story abotu Werewolves. In my case they were wolves that learned ot look like Humans in order to survive. The story began with a human infant being discovered by a pair that coudl not have children of their own and adopted him.

I coudnt bring myself to have her bite her own chld so I sort of cheated by having her pass it along to the infant by licking his wounds clean. by the next full moon he had gained all the atributes of his litermates.

If we re dealing with a geneticly passed things, I see it taking time to "infect the person, especially since you are talking about a very small ammount of saliva actually getting into a bite wound.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I wrestled with this while writing a short story abotu Werewolves. In my case they were wolves that learned ot look like Humans in order to survive. The story began with a human infant being discovered by a pair that coudl not have children of their own and adopted him.

I coudnt bring myself to have her bite her own chld so I sort of cheated by having her pass it along to the infant by licking his wounds clean. by the next full moon he had gained all the atributes of his litermates.

If we re dealing with a geneticly passed things, I see it taking time to "infect the person, especially since you are talking about a very small ammount of saliva actually getting into a bite wound.

I never understood why a little nip was such a big deal. In some werewolf stories A werewolf can't bear to bite someone they care for to make them a werewolf so the other werewolves end up killing or eating the person.

One story I read in an anthology had a werewolf who turned an abused child into a wolf pup by licking it all over, adopting the child also made the werewolf kinder as well.