Trypanosoma vamperi
The Science Behind Vampirism on Planet Earth
T. vamperi 1
pronounced: tri-pan-oh-soh-muh vam-peer-ee
But... it's not what you think either. There are so many tales featuring seductively dangerous and tortured anti-heroes that dominate literature, television and movies. All those people presented as vampires - Lestat de Lioncourt & Louis de Pointe du Lac, Stefan & Damon Salvatore, Vampire Bill, Pam Ravenscroft & Eric Northman... Hell, even Dracula 2 - if they were vampires, it was only half the story. They all have vastly differing folklore surrounding the origin of the species, but none of them come close to scratching the surface of the truth. The true vampires are tiny little parasites that have infected and transformed human men and women, the wee Trypanosoma vamperi. With this knowledge in mind, the men and women being presented as vampires are really just the Renfields 3 to the parasites in their brains. I wouldn't say that to their face though... Today the term vampire encompasses both the parasitic organisms and their human host. Modern vampires consider themselves a separate species from humanity, as the symbiotic nature they share with their parasites grants them abilities that extend beyond those of the average human being.
Immortality - As described above, true vampires have the potential for unlimited longevity, but that does not mean they cannot die. While bones are stronger, immune response is smarter and faster, and illnesses due to organ failures or mutagenic alterations are a thing of the past, an injury that could kill a normal human being can kill a vampire. Therefore, they can be shot, stabbed, decapitated, burned, ok... they are hard to drown but it is possible - it can just take hours instead of minutes. They can bleed out, and, while difficult, their necks can be broken.
Once the parasite has passed the blood-brain barrier and anchored itself it is no longer susceptible to any therapeutic forms of pest control. Pentamidine and suramin have been proven effective in the hemolymphatic stage to remove all parasite infections, but the melarsoprol used for treatment in the meningoecenphalitic stage has no effect on T. vamperi.
Despite having an enhanced immune system there are still a few viruses, fungal infections, and prions that vampires are susceptible to and should avoid if at all possible. The most notable of these is the SSE-Z virus, which is almost instantaneous and exceedingly gruesome death to a vampire.
Sunlight - I hate to debunk one of the most popular of the vampire myths, but the sun will not cause a vampire to burn beyond the norm. They are nocturnal creatures, however, and do experience severe photophobia rendering them practically blind in the daylight. This sensitivity is to UVB light, and there are many artificial sources vampires try to avoid as well, including but not limited to: tanning beds, bulbs using mercury vapors lighting gymnasiums and stadiums, and some manufacturers may have it included in halogen, incandescent, or fluorescent lighting. Vampires do experience enhanced scotopic vision, so a nocturnal wake cycle is not problematic for the species.
Food - Garlic is not harmful to vampires at all, and the myth that vampires do not or can not eat food is incorrect. In fact, a balanced diet, including human blood, is essential for the survival of a vampire. The human body still requires food to fuel body processes not controlled by its little helper, and therefore needs to sustain a regular diet of natural foods to facilitate this. Their tastes do tend to run towards rare meats, raw fruits and veggies, and lots of carbs, and they don't care for processed foods or preservatives. The parasite is sustained by approximately ten ounces of human blood once a week, although younger vampires are susceptible to blood lust and may overconsume.
Running Water - This has got to be one of the stupidest myths surrounding vampire lore this author has ever heard of and bears no further scrutiny. Of course, vampires can cross running water. They can also take a shower, go whitewater rafting, and water ski.
Duh! Shapeshifting, Grave Dirt, & Animal Attraction - Another one that doesn't happen, at least the shapeshifting makes a little more sense than the water thing. Vampires cannot change their form, they do not mist back to their lair when their "HP reaches zero," and they are unable to assume the form or abilities of a bat. Vampires do not keep traditional lairs nor do they sleep in coffins. Many choose to live in areas that have basements that are light proof or else reside within interior rooms for ocular comfort in the daytime, but they can rest anywhere a human can sleep. It is true that there does seem to be an increased incidence of wolves, coyotes, bobcats, and lynx in the areas that vampires call home, but this is believed to be a pheromonal response to waste products created by the parasite rather than having a supernatural cause, and has no effect on the rat or bat populations. Compulsion - Here is a feature of vampire lore that is true, provided the recipient of the compulsion has been bitten and parasite bodies are present in the bloodstream. The suggestions offered by the compulsion are permanent, however, once the T. vamperi bodies have disappeared from the blood the individual would need to be re-infected for additional compulsions to occur. A vampire can only compel an individual that they personally infect; they can not compel an individual bitten by a different vampire. A compulsion can be as basic or as detailed as needed. Permission to Enter - Historically, vampires need permission to enter a private dwelling, but this is not the case. A vampire can freely pass through any doorway, portal, entrance, exit, window, etc., that they please. While most do hold to the social convention of seeking admittance from the home dweller so as to not draw attention to themselves, there are those that don't care for social convention at all. Enhanced Abilities - Vampires do tend to be faster, stronger, and more durable than the garden variety human. T. vamperi directs growth hormone (GH) to create enough insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) to enlarge the canines and strengthen bones throughout the body. These canines are not retractable, but also are not the inch-long fangs depicted in fiction. Vampires can run extremely fast and have increased endurance, but they can not fly.
pronounced: tri-pan-oh-soh-muh vam-peer-ee
Wait... Whaaat?
Bet you thought vampires weren't real, hunh? The boogeyman. The story that was told by parents to make children behave (stranger danger!) The bump in the night... the most romanticized "monster" to never exist... Ha! Joke's on you, vampires are real!!But... it's not what you think either. There are so many tales featuring seductively dangerous and tortured anti-heroes that dominate literature, television and movies. All those people presented as vampires - Lestat de Lioncourt & Louis de Pointe du Lac, Stefan & Damon Salvatore, Vampire Bill, Pam Ravenscroft & Eric Northman... Hell, even Dracula 2 - if they were vampires, it was only half the story. They all have vastly differing folklore surrounding the origin of the species, but none of them come close to scratching the surface of the truth. The true vampires are tiny little parasites that have infected and transformed human men and women, the wee Trypanosoma vamperi. With this knowledge in mind, the men and women being presented as vampires are really just the Renfields 3 to the parasites in their brains. I wouldn't say that to their face though... Today the term vampire encompasses both the parasitic organisms and their human host. Modern vampires consider themselves a separate species from humanity, as the symbiotic nature they share with their parasites grants them abilities that extend beyond those of the average human being.
Weird Science
Trypanosoma vamperi is a protozoan parasite that at first glance mimics its cousins Trypanosoma brucei, which causes African human trypanosomiasis, and Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease in Central and South America. All species of Trypanosoma are incredibly deadly, with outbreaks occurring well into the 1990s worldwide, including Africa, Central America, and the United States. Trypanosoma vamperi have been hidden by vampires for centuries, but human scientists are well aware of the Trypanosomas brucei and cruzi, and upon the rare event they do encounter T. vamperi it is misdiagnosed as its brucei cousin. The initial source and method of infection remains a mystery. Vampire scientists surmise it was some form of arthropod, as that is the vector for the other Trypanosoma parasites, but there really is no way of knowing. Current hypothesis holds that a kissing bug native to North Carolina - Triatoma sanguisuga - may have been the first carrier. In the brucei and cruzi variants of Trypanosoma, the insect (which we will label vector type 1 sequence a or VT1a) ingests the parasites, which then moves to the salivary glands in a slender metacyclic form for distribution. When the VT1a bites another creature (aka vector type 2 or V2,) these organisms enter the bloodstream, deftly avoiding an immune response by means of variable surface glycoproteins. Here they multiply and create "stumpy forms with division arrest," according to scientists Maxfield and Bermudez, who have done extensive research on these parasites. The metacyclic form will self-sustain for about two weeks before they die off. At this point in the life cycle of T. vamperi, the newly formed stumpy organisms must now be re-ingested to trigger the next phase of growth. A new bite delivered to V2 by any arthropod or human, which we will call vector type 1 sequence b - or VT1b, re-introduces the stumpy Trypanosoma back into another digestive tract. Once again, the parasites move from the intestinal area back to the salivary glands, but this time the organisms transition into procyclic epimastigote forms. If no new host is found, the stumpy Trypanosomas will also only survive for roughly two weeks before dying off. It is at this point the parasite is at its most infective and marks the transition from the hemolymphatic stage to the meningoecenphalitic stage of the parasite's life cycle. The procyclic epimastigote re-enters a bloodstream via a VT1b bite using the same variable surface proteins as last time, but this time the goal of the parasite is to take up residence in the functional areas of the brain of its host.All About That Brain
During the transition from blood to brain, the host experiences some flu-like symptoms such as malaise, headaches, nausea, itching, fever, and swollen lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy.) Passage across the blood-brain barrier can occur as early as three days after exposure, but typically takes around ten. Once the barrier is breached, neurological symptoms begin to appear and the differences between T. vamperi and its cousins becomes very clear. T. vamperi is a picky eater, and unlike other species of Trypanosoma, it will target specific areas of the human brain upon crossing the blood-brain barrier. Also unlike its cousin but much like a sperm to an ovum (or the Highlander) there can be only one T. vamperi per host human. The first organism to reach and implant to the hypothalamus is then the only one with a chance to achieve true symbiosis. It is unclear as to why this symbiotic relationship can only be achieved with a human host. The current theory holds that the catalyst lies in one of the 700 or so genomes that are specific to humans. Upon reaching the hypothalamus, the parasite then uses its flagellum to anchor itself in place and begins the third phase of it's transformation. Neurologic effects of this differentiation process can include but are not limited to: changes in sleep patterns and the circadian cycle, apathy, weakness, irritability, dyskinesia, abnormal reflexes, aggression, and psychosis. This is progressive, irreversible and ends in coma and death. It should be noted this is a gradual progression in T. brucei and T. cruzi, with infections persisting for over three years, but the process is much faster with T. vamperi. Once in place on the hypothalamus, T. vamperi unfurls several nerve-like appendages that seek out additional key areas of the brain. One of these tendrils follows the anchor down into the hypothalamus, and the others must be able to reach the temporal lobe & hippocampus, the somatosensory cortex, the thalamus, and the hindbrain. For symbiosis to vampire to be complete, all nerve tendrils must be successfully fused to the brain in those five key areas before the symptoms of infection cause the host death. Many deaths in the early days that were attributed to T. brucei were actually the responsibility of T. vamperi. Once the parasite is firmly in place, the psychosis and aggression increase, and the affected host will attempt to bite as many creatures as possible to spread the parasite as much as possible before death. It is believed that this mechanism is in place to facilitate the final requirement of the symbiotic process, as well as to increase the likelihood of more successful transformations. Upon host death, Trypanosoma vamperi sends out an electromagnetic impulse that basically reboots the human body, but the parasite is now in control of many functions including hormone distribution and cellular function. The host retains their memories, basic personality, and voluntary movement. They basically remain a much more intense version of who they were before their transformation. There is not much information regarding how or why the rebooting impulse occurs, as it has never been observed in laboratory conditions prior to Z Hour Alpha. The final phase in the growth cycle of the Trypanosoma vamperi occurs after the rebooting impulse. The new host must now ingest fresh blood that has been infected by these parasites. Something in the process of cannibalism of its own species allows the new tenant to remain comfortably housed for an undetermined amount of time. It should be noted that the requirements of this first feeding can explain the increased aggression prior to death, and the infected blood can actually even be obtained by biting oneself.Fact vs Fiction
This author is tired of writing a clinical presentation, and so moving forward the description of the symbiotic nature between T. vamperi and its host will be in the form of fact vs. fiction. Undeath - Oddly enough our first topic is a hotly debated one to this day. Technically, it is a necessary step for the host to die to achieve full symbiosis. Many people hold the belief that upon death the soul leaves the body, and yet the host retains memories, thoughts, and basic general dispositions - albeit tweaked ones. That being said, true vampires are not affected by any religious icons including but not limited to traditional vampire weakness such as crosses and holy water. They can enter any house of worship unhindered, and many vampires attend services for the religion of their choice. Anti-Aging - Yes, you could group this myth in with the undead topic, but it is different because there is the possibility that undead beings (if they existed) can still age in the form of decay. Due to the unique properties of the T. vamperi relationship with it's host, hormone regulation and distribution, cellular growth and differentiation, and immunological response are aided and amplified. This means that all vampires physically maintain their peak human form and function. Skin is healthy, hair shiny. Wrinkles fill in, stretch marks and scars heal, and most sustained injuries can self-heal given time, rest, and proper nutrition/hydration.
It is unknown how long this longevity can be maintained although some of the Croatoan and Roanoke vampires are still alive today, including Ezekyel Alston. This places them at 437 years old and counting, and the ones that have died definitely did not experience old age. It is entirely possible that even older vampires exist, but if they do, they remain hidden.
One more important implication should be noted here - children infected with the parasite who undergo full symbiosis will continue to grow until they reach their peak physical form. The myth that a vampire child will remain a child indefinitely simply isn't true.
One more important implication should be noted here - children infected with the parasite who undergo full symbiosis will continue to grow until they reach their peak physical form. The myth that a vampire child will remain a child indefinitely simply isn't true.
Duh! Shapeshifting, Grave Dirt, & Animal Attraction - Another one that doesn't happen, at least the shapeshifting makes a little more sense than the water thing. Vampires cannot change their form, they do not mist back to their lair when their "HP reaches zero," and they are unable to assume the form or abilities of a bat. Vampires do not keep traditional lairs nor do they sleep in coffins. Many choose to live in areas that have basements that are light proof or else reside within interior rooms for ocular comfort in the daytime, but they can rest anywhere a human can sleep. It is true that there does seem to be an increased incidence of wolves, coyotes, bobcats, and lynx in the areas that vampires call home, but this is believed to be a pheromonal response to waste products created by the parasite rather than having a supernatural cause, and has no effect on the rat or bat populations. Compulsion - Here is a feature of vampire lore that is true, provided the recipient of the compulsion has been bitten and parasite bodies are present in the bloodstream. The suggestions offered by the compulsion are permanent, however, once the T. vamperi bodies have disappeared from the blood the individual would need to be re-infected for additional compulsions to occur. A vampire can only compel an individual that they personally infect; they can not compel an individual bitten by a different vampire. A compulsion can be as basic or as detailed as needed. Permission to Enter - Historically, vampires need permission to enter a private dwelling, but this is not the case. A vampire can freely pass through any doorway, portal, entrance, exit, window, etc., that they please. While most do hold to the social convention of seeking admittance from the home dweller so as to not draw attention to themselves, there are those that don't care for social convention at all. Enhanced Abilities - Vampires do tend to be faster, stronger, and more durable than the garden variety human. T. vamperi directs growth hormone (GH) to create enough insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) to enlarge the canines and strengthen bones throughout the body. These canines are not retractable, but also are not the inch-long fangs depicted in fiction. Vampires can run extremely fast and have increased endurance, but they can not fly.
A Mystery of a History
The oldest known vampires achieved true symbiosis in 1588, and originally lived in a sleepy little colony of English settlers in America. The settlement itself was proudly nestled on a coastal peninsula in what is known today as Dare County, North Carolina, but back then was called Roanoke Colony. Details are sketchy as most vampires hold their secrets close, but it is a fact that at some point, ten men and women from Roanoke visited the nearby island of Croatoan. It is unclear as to what exactly happened on that visit and how these initial settlers were exposed to the parasite. It has been hypothesized that they were bitten by an insect or a rat that was a carrier, that it was an Indian curse, that contaminated water was consumed, and a plethora of other possibilities from the mundane to the fantastical. The most widely held and logical theory is that the group encountered an unknown existing vampire. Vampire lore is sprinkled throughout history, including the Celtic Abhartch, Slavic Upyr, and the Scottish Berwick, and with such evidence in place it is safe to assume that vampires have been around for much longer than the Eighteenth Century. This author is not foolhardy enough to poke any further into validating that theory though, as stated before vampires are secretive. Further evidence supporting an existing vampire lies in the fact that none of the native people residing on the island ever demonstrated falling ill to the sicknesses that lead up to symbiosis. Regardless of method, by the time the small party of four surviving travelers returned to Roanoke, they were fully transformed. In the dead of night, these Croatoan vamps systematically bit and compelled the entire town, led them away, and then attempted to turn them all. Of course, at this time the understanding of the process was extremely limited, and therefore less than ten percent of the population survived the transition process. This band of twelve baby vampires stayed together for only a short while, quickly recognizing the need to spread out to avoid detection. The group agreed to meet once a year at Samhain, and thus The Vamperi Council was founded. That is the only bit of history that this author dares report, and she fears she already may have said too much.Modern Vampires
Today's vampires utilize science and technology to overcome their limitations and cement their position at the top of the food chain. The emergence of the SSE-Z virus has vastly changed the dynamic of how vampires view humans as a food source, but that does not change that fact that from an evolutionary standpoint, the Trypanosoma vamperi may just be the top of the food chain.
Trypanosoma vamperi by Anna Omis
Classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Phylum: Euglenozoa
Class: Kinetoplastea
Order: Trypanosomatida
Family: Trypanosomatidae
Genus: Trypanosoma
Species: T. vamperi
T. vamperi by Bing Image Creator
Hemolymphatic Stage T. vamperi by aitubo
Trypanosoma Vectors by Bing
Related Organizations
Roanoke Colony 1580 by Bing Image Creator
James Marshall, Croatoan Vampire by Midjourney
Ester Smith, Croatoan Vampire by Midjourney
Rose Davis, Croatoan Vampire by Midjourney
by WorldAnvil
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I like vampirism caused by parasites.