"Medical and Science Report on the Virus"

[Aidan Driscol 0]

Report on the sickness and death of Crewman Burne and two Gareem patients.

 

Note: This is a condensed and simplified report for non-science and medical staff, full scientific and medical reports have been added to the ship's databank.

 

Clinical Presentation and Course of Disease: The two Gareem patients showed the typical signs of infection, a fever and slight respiratory deficiency. The leukocyte count was slightly elevated. Within a matter of hours their skin took on a blueish colour and the enzyme readings became unusual but inconclusive. Medical was not able to diagnose the patients immediately, that is why blood samples were taken for further examination. A Xeno-biologist from the science department was called in. Observing the early stages of the disease was not possible in Crewman Burne's case as he had fully transformed before he was first presented to medical. The entire course of the disease could not be followed as the two Gareem patients were killed before the transformation was complete. Putting the patient into a stasis had a slowing effect on the course.

 

Test Results: The tests showed that a virus of unknown origin was causing all the changes. It is an unknown virus with a seemingly unique strategy. It alters the DNA of the host cells and transforms it into Soltan DNA which then produces enzymes typical for a Soltan organism. This only happens in the nucleus of the cell, mitochondrial DNA is not affected thus making it possible to tell who the patient was prior to the transformation. It also seems that the virus causes a reconfiguration of the neural pathways which results in memory loss and a drastic change of behaviour.

 

Mechanisms: The virus carries a set of restriction enzymes for "cutting" DNA and short DNA sequences which are brought into the host cell's DNA which encode start and stop sequences. This leads to the virus actually altering the genome of the host cell thus basically turning it into a Soltan cell. As the virus mainly befalls differentiated cells, i.e. cells which already have a function in the body that cannot be altered anymore, the main function of the cell stays the same but the enzymes it produces become different. The implication of that is that an organism has to be, genetically, sufficiently similar to the Soltans to survive the infection. For an organism that differentiates a lot from humanoid physiology an infection would mean certain death. It can be assumed with sufficient certainty that all humanoids will survive an infection and be turned into Soltans, this can be said with 100% certainty in the case of humans, as the example of Crewman Burne shows.(From a scientific point of view it is conceivable that organisms like mammals, birds, reptiles and fishes survive an infection.)

 

Treatment: A simple resequencing of the DNA cannot be considered a possibility, as it is too much strain on the system and lead to Crewman Burne's death. Further tests will show if a combination of an antiviral therapy and resequencing can be used. At this point it seems more advisable to develop a vaccine to the virus.

 

Danger: Nobody on the current crew seems to be infected. As this virus is highly dangerous to most of the crew members caution is advised when encountering the Soltans and the Gareem (as they are the only known carriers so far). An infected person has to be quarantined immediately, as well as any person who the patient has come in contact with.

 

Implications: The uniqueness of the virus and it's mechanism implies that this is not a natural phenomenon, even though it can't be ruled out completely that it is the result of evolution. It should be taken into consideration however, that this might be an artificially produced virus used as a weapon. Despite the militaristic and political implications this might have it also leads to the conclusion that someone has developed a cure to it, as it seems unwise to release such a pathogen without any cure.

 

Request: Medical and Science request permission to keep samples of the virus and the dead Soltans' tissue for further studies. The strictest safety measures will be administered and the samples will be kept in a sealed off area with restricted access.