Epidemiology

History

The “Human Dog” Disease (HDD) is a military biological weapon created in a commercial laboratory. It was originally intended as a means to pacify populations while leaving them able to perform useful work and care for themselves. HDD escaped the lab and jumped into the general population due to a miscalculation and a lack of oversight by the lab procedures and personnel who were responsible. Unfortunately, none of those involved in the creation, nor any of their work, survived the fire and destruction of the facility that followed the accidental release.

Transmission

HDD is transmitted when an infected person has direct bodily contact with an uninfected person, and the pathogen is passed from one to the other. HDD can also be spread by indirect contact with an infected person’s environment or personal items. The presence of wound drainage or other discharges from the body increases the potential for risk of transmission and environmental contamination. The infection can be waterborne as well.

Immunity

Immunity appears to result from genetic heritage and travels within families. If both parents are immune, the children are immune as well. If one parent is immune, the children have a 50-50 chance of being immune. If both parents are not immune, all children are not immune. Immunity to HDD is fairly rare. The only immunity test is by exposure to the pathogen. Immune people cannot transmit HDD and are not carriers.

Signs and Symptoms

Those infected with HDD become contagious quickly and before symptoms develop. Symptoms start eight to twelve days after HDD infection. The first indication of disease is subconjunctival hemorrhage (bleeding from the eyes) followed by high fever and rapid incapacitation. Symptomatic individuals remain extremely contagious until illness passes or for several days to a week after death.

Symptoms include subconjunctival hemorrhage (bleeding from the eyes) and severe conjunctivitis (bloodshot eyes), loss of appetite, high fever, coma, and death. Infected individuals who do not succumb to HDD have amnesia, lose the ability to use complex tools, and cannot communicate verbally.

Treatment

There is no known treatment other than palliative care. Nearly all who are infected will perish within two weeks of infection regardless of care.

Prevention

Practicing good hand hygiene and sanitization is an effective method in preventing the spread of dangerous pathogens like HDD. Chlorine bleach, UV light, sunlight, high heat, dry conditions, and several hours exposure to the environment will render the microorganism inert. High humidity and cool weather will prolong the life of the pathogen. Extreme caution is urged to prevent transmission of HDD.

Avoid the following:

• Contact with blood and body fluids (such as urine, feces, saliva, sweat, vomit, breast milk, semen, and vaginal fluids).

• Bites and scratches by infected individuals that break the skin.

• Items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids (such as clothes, bedding, needles, and medical equipment).

• Funeral or burial rituals that require handling the body of someone who died from HDD.

Infectious agents coming in contact with mucous membranes or open cuts, scratches, and wounds of the uninfected will transmit the disease. Use of protective garments, eye shields, masks, and gloves should be practiced whenever contact with infected individuals is anticipated.

The HDD pathogen is easily rendered inert through careful precautions.

Asymptomatic Carrier

A small percentage of those infected remain asymptomatic carriers (AC) and are infectious for the remainder of their lives. The only known symptom is degradation of short term memory. Visually, they show no obvious signs of being a carrier. Screen suspected AC’s with a repetitive string of numbers or words (ex: “cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, mayo, onion, and pickle”). Those that can repeat the string cannot be AC’s. However, failing the test may just be due to a lower than normal intelligence or stress rather than infection. Since AC’s are highly infectious and there is no other tests available, it is advisable to isolate those that fail the screen from the non-infected.