Disease

[Kzinistzerg]

I don't know i'f weve discussed dieases before, i think we have, but-

just how wel will the virus protect from raw meat deseases? like, mad cow diease, and it's sheep and deer counterparts, the parasites you can get from eatign raw pig meat... etc? and also ones that copme from ticks and bites, like lyme?

[Apokryltaros]

In most viral diseases, the virus needs to come in contact with the mucus membrane of a new host within a minute of leaving the old host's body, otherwise it dries out and becomes useless (not "die" as a virus is not alive). Some viruses, however, are hardier than others, and can survive longer, like, around 45 minutes to an hour, such as flu, cold and HIV.
Prions are infectious, disease-causing proteins, and things contaminated with contact remain at risk of infection and can not be totally sterilized through any means, unless incinerated.

Thoroughly cooking meat until there is no more juice in the meat removes the threat of infection by bacteria, virii, or worm parasites.
Ironically, deer and other hoofed animals that are infected with worms, ie, tapeworms, sometimes secrete an odor that wolves tend to find extremely attractive, if not irresistable, and inevitably target worm-infected/infested prey over uninfested prey. Sort of like Chinese food with MSG versus Chinese food without MSG.

[Vilkacis]

Heh.

-- Vilkacis

[Raina The Werewolf Queen]

I heard werewolves can get them because of a system that can regenrate so quickly. But heh We all have are own oppiniouns.

[Scott Gardener]

Parasites have evolved to fulfill a highly specialized niche, and are usually pretty species-specific. Some can sort-of survive cross-species infestation, but, they have a tough time with it.

However, the physiologic uniqueness of werewolves could cause all kinds of havoc that just being in the wrong mammal wouldn't. I would expect most parasites to get creamed by the bizarre physiology responsible for shape-shifting.

I suppose a tapeworm might have a chance, assuming the intestines didn't pry the thing out between shifts. But your basic liver fluke or intramuscular parasite will have a tough time with the bizarre properties of werewolf histology.

[Silverclaw]

Do you think werewolves could have heartworms? Those things are creepy!

[WolvenOne]

Well, if the viruses regenerative nature is boosting the werewolves immune system then the aformentioned werewolf would have a pretty good defense against such things.

However that's a pretty big if, simply put I don't know how much a regenerative nature would boost a persons immune system.

[Terastas]

I heard werewolves can get them because of a system that can regenrate so quickly. But heh We all have are own oppiniouns.

That's what I suggested: that lycanthropy doesn't necessarilly cure diseases, but continuously repairs the damage caused by said diseases so it may appear that the werewolf is immune. He might as well be too, because except for the case of airborne diseases, anyone he passes them onto would get lycanthropy as well.

The only exceptions I could think of to this rule would be either viruses that target lycanthropy (which could be anything seeing as we don't know what those might be), or viruses that kill quickly.

[Apokryltaros]

I heard werewolves can get them because of a system that can regenrate so quickly. But heh We all have are own oppiniouns.

That's what I suggested: that lycanthropy doesn't necessarilly cure diseases, but continuously repairs the damage caused by said diseases so it may appear that the werewolf is immune. He might as well be too, because except for the case of airborne diseases, anyone he passes them onto would get lycanthropy as well.

The only exceptions I could think of to this rule would be either viruses that target lycanthropy (which could be anything seeing as we don't know what those might be), or viruses that kill quickly.

So, would werewolves be able to survive Ebola virus, or the Plague bacterium?

[Terastas]

So, would werewolves be able to survive Ebola virus, or the Plague bacterium?

Not sure about the Plague, but the Ebola virus was actually the only virus I could think of that a werewolf likely wouldn't be able to survive.

[Apokryltaros]

Ebola kills its victims by causing cells to burst willy-nilly, thus, ultimately causing the victim to bleed to death.
The Plague bacterium kills its hosts by secreting extremely toxic waste-products, as well as multiplying at a rate so horrifically prolific so as to make even the horniest bunny hutch look like a monastery of neutered monks. (And yes, you really can die within a couple of hours from Septic Plague)

[Kzinistzerg]

Yes, however, as mad cow and it's varations in deer and sheep (yes, theres 'mad cow' for deer, too) target the brain, usually- one of the hardest thigns to regenrate. probably the hardest. i would a regenerative help with that? ebcause even though mad cow makes your brain look like a sponge crossed with swiss cheeze, it takes years upon yeras. yet neurons (brain celles, i think nerve celes too) are a very unique type of cell- and also, if you have holes in your brain filled with new tissue, even though you would probably surevivee, i think the conections would still be gone, you'd still lose your mind. however, i'm no expert on any diseases.... so...

[Apokryltaros]

Yes, however, as mad cow and it's varations in deer and sheep (yes, theres 'mad cow' for deer, too) target the brain, usually- one of the hardest thigns to regenrate. probably the hardest. i would a regenerative help with that? ebcause even though mad cow makes your brain look like a sponge crossed with swiss cheeze, it takes years upon yeras. yet neurons (brain celles, i think nerve cells too) are a very unique type of cell- and also, if you have holes in your brain filled with new tissue, even though you would probably surevivee, i think the conections would still be gone, you'd still lose your mind. however, i'm no expert on any diseases.... so...

Bovine Spongeform Encephalopathy kills its victim, in that the prions form this plaque that smothers the neurons, causing the characteristic brain damage and death.
Perhaps lycanthropy can stop it by having the immune system attack the plaque?
(Even if it could, I strongly doubt that it would be able to reverse the brain damage)

[Kavik]

Yes, however, as mad cow and it's varations in deer and sheep (yes, theres 'mad cow' for deer, too) target the brain, usually- one of the hardest thigns to regenrate. probably the hardest. i would a regenerative help with that? ebcause even though mad cow makes your brain look like a sponge crossed with swiss cheeze, it takes years upon yeras. yet neurons (brain celles, i think nerve cells too) are a very unique type of cell- and also, if you have holes in your brain filled with new tissue, even though you would probably surevivee, i think the conections would still be gone, you'd still lose your mind. however, i'm no expert on any diseases.... so...

Bovine Spongeform Encephalopathy kills its victim, in that the prions form this plaque that smothers the neurons, causing the characteristic brain damage and death.
Perhaps lycanthropy can stop it by having the immune system attack the plaque?
(Even if it could, I strongly doubt that it would be able to reverse the brain damage)

That's all we need, brain-damaged werewolves roaming the countrysides! And I thought the risk of rabies was bad enough!

[Lupin]

Bovine Spongeform Encephalopathy kills its victim, in that the prions form this plaque that smothers the neurons, causing the characteristic brain damage and death.
Perhaps lycanthropy can stop it by having the immune system attack the plaque?
(Even if it could, I strongly doubt that it would be able to reverse the brain damage)

How species-specific is Bovine Spongeform Encephalopathy anyway?

[Anubis]

i don't think brain disease won't be a problem due the werewolf's regeneritve abilites

[outwarddoodles]

i don't think brain disease won't be a problem due the werewolf's regeneritve abilites

Regeneritive abilities are not a cure all thing. If the brain is too damaged it may not be fixed completly, and if its very damaged than posibly the body wouldn;t function right, leaving out being able to regenerate.

[Shadow Wulf]

i don't think brain disease won't be a problem due the werewolf's regeneritve abilites

Regeneritive abilities are not a cure all thing. If the brain is too damaged it may not be fixed completly, and if its very damaged than posibly the body wouldn;t function right, leaving out being able to regenerate.

true, if the brain gets significant damage, like a shot in the middle of the head, it wont be able to regerate, cause the brain wont be able to tell the body to regerate itself, but disease, that shouldnt be much of a problem even if its in the head, cause the brain will autoamatically try to protect itself

[Scott Gardener]

Regeneration is a basic concept, but as said above, it's not a cure-all.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, AKA "mad cow disease," is caused by a prion, a very unusual virus that exists not as DNA or RNA, but purely as a rogue protein that replicates itself and causes surrounding proteins to coaggulate into amyloid plaques. (No, it's not a practical way to build a lycanthrope virus, in case you're getting any bright ideas.) Some have postulated that Alzheimer's could be caused or promoted by a similar virus.

Rapid healing and regeneration could just as easily worsen this problem, though lycanthropy as I've pictured it would tend to cause macrophages to go in and remove these plaques a little at a time. (If they did it too much, too quickly, then the resulting inflammation would cause brain damage.) They also accumulate a little at a time as well, so the end result is not quite a cure so much as a permanant work-around. The plaques would be removed as part of the body's effort to keep the brain primed and ready to compress and stretch as needed as the head changes shape, one of the more complicated and difficult feats of engineering involved with shifting.

[Anubis]

no, it dosen't work like that let me explain. the flat worm if you cut off it's head it will grow back a new head. the ability to regenerate isn't just located in the brain it in the whole nervis system.

[outwarddoodles]

no, it dosen't work like that let me explain. the flat worm if you cut off it's head it will grow back a new head. the ability to regenerate isn't just located in the brain it in the whole nervis system.

A flat worm is very different from a human!

[outwarddoodles]

What exactly does regeneration apply to? Its regaining or regrowing lost parts. How does that connect with the immune system? How does that connect with reticuloendothelial system? (that Scott had mentioned with the phagocytic cells getting rid of certian deseises.)

Edit: And, posibly this being pointed towards the smart Scott, whats in the virus that makes regeneration better anyway? Is there a type of protein that does this?

[Figarou]

deseises

How odd. I did a Google search thinking nothing would come up.

I was wrong.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=de ... gle+Search

[Scott Gardener]

The problem lies in the information stored inside the head. Someone beheaded who could grow back a new head would have to have a pretty alien physiology ("do you have any idea how much that stings!"), otherwise the regrown head wouldn't have any memory of whatever was recorded by the lost brain. That means that whatever was regrown would have as much knowledge as a fetus.

If the person were to have full knowledge, then the brain's contents would have to have been "backed up" somewhere else. To keep with your idea of a decentralized nervous system that stores everything in a distributed network ("BitTorrent neurons"), the whole nervous system would have to be re-engineered in a manner that's at least as far-fetched and complex as shapeshifting itself.

Of course, that said, I've worked with the idea on some other creatures of mine in my Genetic Wars stories, as today's "far-fetched" is an invitation to tomorrow's science. And, if someone is feeling inclined to invent shapeshifting, then someone else is probably inclined to use the same level of technology to focus on immortality.

[outwarddoodles]

deseises

How odd. I did a Google search thinking nothing would come up.

I was wrong.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=de ... gle+Search

I sappose disease is a commonly mispelled word.