Questions About a Fictional Virus

[fharper]

I'm in the outlining stages of a novel whose plot centers around a fictional virus with some specific features. I'm looking for advice on whether my idea is in the realm of possibility, as well as any caveats or tidbits that will help to give my creation some additional flavor. I am open to any suggestions for changes that would increase the scientific accuracy of my idea.

 

The central premise is that the virus' symptoms and virulence in men and women are very different. When the virus infects men, it it highly virulent, with symptoms similar to hemorrhagic smallpox. It is airborne and highly infectious. In women, the virus infects cells and replicates but results in only mild symptoms, including coughing and sneezing, which can spread the disease to both men and women. After a period of a few days to about two weeks, symptoms disappear in women. Men, invariably, die from the infection.

 

One possibility I am considering is a retrovirus that targets the SRY region of the Y-chromosome to produce the highly lethal strain, or that the higher or lower concentrations of sex hormones in men and women have some effect on how quickly the virus replicates and on whether it goes dormant or overwhelms the immune response.

 

Another possibility that I am pondering is that the virus might go dormant in the cells of women after the initial infection, but be triggered to shed when the infected woman comes into close contact with a man. I'm not sure of a good pathway for this. Andrestonone seems to have some physiological affect on human women, though my impression is that the research is inconclusive. In any case, this triggering would result in the same mild symptoms as the primary infection.

 

Any insight would be great. I plan for my main protagonist to be a female virologist with the CDC who is trying to understand and contain the virus in the early stages of its outbreak, though she and others of her team are ultimately unsuccessful. I could gloss the science over by picking a character who is more distant from it, but I'd prefer not to.

Edited October 24, 2014 by fharper

[CharonY]

It depends how deeply rooted in known science you want to be. Gender-specific responses to viruses are known, but they are mostly the result of differences in physiology and/or regulatory responses rather than something on the chromosomal level.

For instance, in mice difference infections to HSV-1 was the result of differences in the response in immunoregulation (IFN-gamma). which exists in both genders.

Why the response is different is (to my limited knowledge) not elucidated yet though IFN-gamma does respond to estrogen exposure. IFN-gamma has also an interesting role in immunization. Again, gender differences were found in HIV immunization trials in mice

 

There are also well-known differences in susceptibility to infections, which, in some cases are simply down to anatomic differences (e.g. in cases of many STDs).

 

So realistically it is not a highly unrealistic proposition, but if you want it based on hard sciences I would simply use the immune response hub as the distinguishing mechanism. I am not even sure that you need it justify much. Also consider that many symptoms are not caused by the actions of the virus alone, but by an interplay between viral particles and the immune response (e.g. fever, mucosal secretion etc.). Thus you could have them only causing mild symptoms (due to initial immune response) or no symptom at all, but still shed viral particles (as it does not have to be destructive to the host).

 

In the other group the immune response could lead to death (cytokine storm is a good example).

[fharper]

Thanks for the information, CharonY. I suspected that what I was considering was at least plausible, and you've given me some ideas to pursue.

 

Dekan, don't worry. I'll make sure to sacrifice my artistic integrity just enough to ensure blockbuster status. More than that is simply unconscionable.

[imatfaal]

!

Moderator Note

 

Hijack by Dekan split off to the trash.

 

Please avoid hijacking threads - keep to the main topic. Do not respond to this modnote

 

[MonDie]

Regarding the Y chromosome idea:

Could it possibly involve the lytic vs. lysogenic cycles? The lysogenic cycle involves the viral DNA inserting itself into the host's chromosome, remaining there through DNA replication until triggered to leave and go lytic, bursting the cells.

Perhaps the virus only does the lytic cycle in women? Is that possible? In that case, perhaps the men can remain dormant for an indeterminate period until some environmental factor causes the provirus to leave the chromosome.

Edited November 13, 2014 by MonDie

[Marios Kyriazis]

Have you looked into pheromones as a trigger?