My virus would be the Livermore virus! The reservoir host for my virus would be bats because bats have proven to be one of the best for many other viruses. They travel long distances, they cram into tight places spreading the virus among the colony, and live close to humans because their natural environments are being destroyed. Bats are also mammals which can also have the ability to be easily transmissible to other mammals. The symptoms of the Livermore virus include; sinus infection, common cold symptoms, flu like symptoms for a few weeks then patient recovers for many years then the patient shows signs of acute pneumonia that often leads to death. The genome is RNA because this gives the virus the ability to mutate and adapt to its environment or new host very frequently finding new and better ways to co exist with the host. Livermore virus is an airborne virus and can be spread from host to host by breathing, coughing, sneezing, and wind. The host lives with this virus for around 10 to 15 years. The host is hospitalized for severe flu like symptoms that start with a super high fever, trouble breathing, weakness and tiredness, headaches. At the hospital the host endures these symptoms for around a week and after a long and drawn out battle they will die of the lungs filling up with fluid. Eventually after many years of research and development a vaccine for the Livermore virus is created and widespread preventing further spread of the disease until is strikes again sometime in the future.
Hey Ethan,
Livermore virus sounds dangerous mainly because you've made it to be airborne. I liked the fact that you used bats to the disease advantage since there are so many factors for bats to be reservoir hosts, as you stated. It is fascinating that the Livermore virus hides in the body for ten to fifteen years before showing its symptoms. The symptoms themselves are very similar to other diseases which might further complicate the identification.The research for the vaccine might indeed take years since the virus hides for a long time. Have you thought about the name for the vaccine yet?
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