Lymphocytic encephalitis: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:10, 31 December 2007

For other uses of the concept of viruses in Battlestar Galactica, see Virus.

Lymphocytic encephalitis is a viral infectious disease caused by the Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV). Originally carried by rodents, primarily rats, LCMV is not lethal to humans, who developed immunity to the pathogen several hundred years ago.

A beacon, believed to have been left by the Thirteenth Tribe on their way to Earth, was contaminated by LCMV. When a basestar discovers the beacon while exploring the Lion's Head nebula, the Cylons bring the device on board and unleash the virus. Subsequently, a team of Colonial marines discovers the drifting basestar and boards the vessel, finding everything save for a small group of humanoids dead. They take the barely living Cylons prisoner and return to Galactica just as the basestar's self-destruct mechanism activates and destroys the ship.

Though humans are immune, the virus is is highly lethal to Cylons because of a bio-electric component that causes a fatal systems error within the Cylon host. Presumably, the system error corrupts the means by which a Cylon manages its organic components, and if an infected Cylon is resurrected, the disease will follow, infecting the Resurrection Ship and eventually the entire Cylon fleet.

This fact forms the basis of a plan devised by Lee Adama to eradicate the Cylon race. By killing the infected Cylons prisoners near a Resurrection Ship, the aforementioned bio-electrical effect would be spread to all Cylons upon download. The plan is ultimately thwarted by Karl Agathon, who feels that the genocide of the Cylon race, despite the fact that they had tried to do the same to mankind, is morally wrong.

Arguably, this plan is ill-conceived as there is nothing to stop the Cylons from destroying the Resurrection Ship after it is infected. Additionally, the plan seems to hinge on the idea that once in the Resurrection Ship the disease would spread throughout the Cylon fleet and perhaps even the whole of Cylon-inhabited space.

Dr. Cottle believes he can create a simple vaccine that can dramatically reverse the effect on the Cylons. However, an antibody in their blood breaks down the vaccine's RNA backbone, rendering the treatment useless. Because of that, they will need regular close interval injections of the vaccine or they will die. If regular injections are provided, an infected Cylon can be kept alive indefinitely.

Unlike the other Cylons Sharon Agathon displays immunity; although she is exposed to LCMV, the pathogen does not adversely affect her. Cottle postulates that during her pregnancy with her half-human daughter Hera, human antibodies were transferred over to Sharon and that these antibodies are subduing the virus.

Notes

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (of which encephalitis is one form) is an actual disease. As in the episode, the illness was spread through rodents on the real-world Earth. The effects on the Cylons appear similar to the symptoms in this CDC document.

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-'''Lymphocytic encephalitis''' is a viral disease that is highly lethal to [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]]. It is an ancient human disease that originally was carried by rodents, primarily [[Life Forms of the Twelve Colonies#Mammals|rats]]. Several hundred years ago, humans developed an immunity to the virus. A beacon, believed to have been left by the [[Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)|Thirteenth Tribe]] on their way to [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]], was contaminated by the virus.  It is believed to be an accidental contamination. A Cylon baseship discovered the beacon, and [[humanoid Cylon]], upon examining it, unknowingly unleashed the virus infecting all of the Cylons aboard.
+'''Lymphocytic encephalitis''' is a viral infectious disease caused by the Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV). Originally carried by rodents, primarily [[Life Forms of the Twelve Colonies#Mammals|rats]], LCMV is not lethal to humans, who developed immunity to the pathogen several hundred years ago.
-The virus is especially virulent in Cylons because there is a bio-electric feedback component to the pathogen. It corrupts how the brain of a humanoid Cylon manages their immune system. If a Cylon who is infected dies and is [[Resurrection (RDM)|resurrected]], the disease will follow, infecting the [[Resurrection Ship]] and eventually the entire Cylon fleet. [[Sharon Agathon]] is immune due to having carried her half-human daughter, so although she is exposed she is not infected.
+A [[Lion's Head beacon|beacon]], believed to have been left by the [[Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)|Thirteenth Tribe]] on their way to [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]], was contaminated by LCMV. When a basestar discovers the beacon while exploring the Lion's Head nebula, the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] bring the device on board and unleash the virus. Subsequently, a team of Colonial marines discovers the drifting basestar and boards the vessel, finding everything save for a small group of humanoids dead. They take the barely living Cylons prisoner and return to Galactica just as the basestar's self-destruct mechanism activates and destroys the ship.
-This fact forms the basis of a plan devised by [[Lee Adama]] to eradicate the Cylon race. The plan proposes that by killing Cylon prisoners infected with the virus within the vicinity of a Resurrection Ship, the aforementioned bio-electrical feedback effect would be spread to all Cylons upon download of the infected Cylons consciousnesses. The plan is ultimately thwarted by [[Karl Agathon]], who feels that the genocide of his wife's race, despite the fact that they had tried to do the same to mankind, is morally wrong.
+Though humans are immune, the virus is is highly lethal to Cylons because of a bio-electric component that causes a fatal systems error within the Cylon host. Presumably, the system error corrupts the means by which a Cylon manages its organic components, and if an infected Cylon is [[Resurrection (RDM)|resurrected]], the disease will follow, infecting the [[Resurrection Ship]] and eventually the entire Cylon fleet.
-However, the plan is ill-conceived as there is nothing to stop the Cylons from destroying the Resurrection Ship the moment they realize it is infected. The plan seems to hinge on the idea that once in the Resurrection Ship the disease would somehow spread throughout the Cylon fleet and perhaps even the whole of Cylon-inhabited space, an assumption which is likely based on the dread with which the Cylons view the disease.
+This fact forms the basis of a plan devised by [[Lee Adama]] to eradicate the Cylon race. By killing the infected Cylons prisoners near a Resurrection Ship, the aforementioned bio-electrical effect would be spread to all Cylons upon download. The plan is ultimately thwarted by [[Karl Agathon]], who feels that the genocide of the Cylon race, despite the fact that they had tried to do the same to mankind, is morally wrong.
-[[Cottle|Dr. Cottle]] believes he can create a simple vaccine that can dramatically reverse the effect on the Cylons. However, they carry an antibody in their blood which breaks down the RNA of the vaccine. Because of that, they will need regular close interval injections of the vaccine or they will die. If regular injections are provided, an infected Cylon can be kept alive indefinitely.
+Arguably, this plan is ill-conceived as there is nothing to stop the Cylons from destroying the Resurrection Ship after it is infected. Additionally, the plan seems to hinge on the idea that once in the Resurrection Ship the disease would spread throughout the Cylon fleet and perhaps even the whole of Cylon-inhabited space.
-The strain of the virus that infected a [[baseship]] via the [[Lion's Head beacon]] is an exact match to one reported over 3,600 years ago, right around the time that the [[Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)|Thirteenth Tribe]] left [[Kobol (RDM)|Kobol]] ([[A Measure of Salvation]]), as the Scrolls of [[Pythia]] imply.
+[[Cottle|Dr. Cottle]] believes he can create a simple vaccine that can dramatically reverse the effect on the Cylons. However, an antibody in their blood breaks down the vaccine's RNA backbone, rendering the treatment useless. Because of that, they will need regular close interval injections of the vaccine or they will die. If regular injections are provided, an infected Cylon can be kept alive indefinitely.
+Unlike the other Cylons [[Sharon Agathon]] displays immunity; although she is exposed to LCMV, the pathogen does not adversely affect her. Cottle postulates that during her pregnancy with her half-human daughter [[Hera]], human antibodies were transferred over to Sharon and that these antibodies are subduing the virus.
 == Notes ==