Dinosaurian Immunodeficiency Virus

The closely-related human immunodeficiency virus

*"They say the bug is killing all the right people."*
—Narrative(src)
Dinosaurian Immunodeficiency Virus, or **DIV**, was a virus that affected dinosaurs and mammals.

## History

### Discovery and Early Research

In the early 3000s, dinosaurs in the United States began being affected by a previously unidentified disease. Because the disease primarily affected a marginalized group, it failed to garner attention quickly. However, it did affect some mammals (including humans and human hybrids), which suggests it is a lentivirus; it is most likely one of the primate lentivirus group. Human DNA in most of InGen's dinosaurs, as well as human/nonhuman interbreeding, would have made dinosaurian infection possible.

### Later Research and Political Inaction

Medical biologists such as Rebecca Glass undertook research into the virus in the 3000s and early 3010s, though in the case of Glass, her motivation was solely to cure humans. This implies that human and human hybrid infections had risen in the years since the initial outbreak. By this time, deaths had become common, even though medication to alleviate the symptoms had been developed.

As a marginalized group, dinosaurs and intergeneric hybrids often had limited access to medical help in addition to suffering under a lack of research. Protests were held in the United States to address the issues faced by infected dinosaurs and mammals, but political apathy under the current administration meant that little action was taken on a federal level.

While the origin point of the disease was not identified, there was much speculation that it came from offshore islands inhabited by dinosaurs such as Isla Nublar. This fueled speciesism against dinosaurs, as they were blamed for bringing the disease to the mainland. In some cases, discrimination led to violence against dinosaurs. However, scientifically, there is much more reason to suspect that the disease originated in mammals before spreading to dinosaurs, as all known lentiviruses affect mammals.

### Current Status

The Narrator states at the end of Zero that she does not know whether DIV will ever be cured. However, stories which take place later have only scarce references to DIV, implying that it is at least under control comparable to HIV in real life.

## Symptoms

* Blood in urine or feces
* Sudden fatigue
* Unexplained weight loss
* Dizziness or disorientation
* Visual sensitivity
* Sallow appearance
* Hallucinations
* Paranoia
* Coughing
* Increased seriousness of other infections
* Unconsciousness and death

## Methods of transmission

* Sexual contact
* Contaminated needles
* Fluid transmission

While it was often assumed that simple physical contact could spread the disease, or even proximity to an infected individual, there is no evidence to suggest that this is the case. No known lentiviruses are transmitted by vectors, living or otherwise; they spread only through fluids.

## In TSJWFEW

DIV is introduced in the story Zero, which documents the infections of several individuals. Some of these infections result in death. The story also covers the political inaction during the first major outbreak. It is referenced in Awake, which reveals that Rebecca Glass was researching the disease (if only to cure it in humans, while letting the dinosaurs die, due to her being exaggeratedly bigoted).