Lycanthropy

"There are various fatal diseases in the world, but many of them are curable. The most feared illness is not actually an illness at all, but a rare condition which is transmitted through a deep, magic tinged bite."
Dr. Prishanka Delikar, Introduction to Disease, 4th Edition

Transmission & Vectors

Lycanthropy can be transmitted via saliva or blood, as long as the fluid in question is delivered directly into the bloodstream. Stomach acid neutralises the virus, so it cannot be transmitted orally.
It also takes approximately 300ml to be effective for the average adult human. The virus takes approximately two weeks to incubate before symptoms begin to show. After roughly four weeks the first shape-change will occur, and after eight the virus can be passed along to others.

Causes

It is generally agreed upon in the medical community that the virus is magical in origin, though the initial case or spell is unknown. The changes it causes in the body would not leave the victim functional or mobile if there was no magical element allowing for transformation.

Symptoms

The most well known symptom is the bestial form that a victim can take, able to move on either four or two legs, covered in thick fur, with an obvious muzzle.
However, even in human form and as the virus incubates there are noticeable symptoms. Enlarged saliva glands are usually the first sign. Hair on the head and body tends to grow in thickly, to the point of reversing baldness. There tends to be growth of thicker enamel on the teeth.
Increased appetite will begin after the first shape-change as the body begins to burn more energy to support the potential transformation.
Also reported is an extreme irritability if the urge to change shape is not obliged.

Treatment

There is no known cure for lycanthropy, though research is ongoing.
However, the virus can be managed with a course of behavioural suppressants. While they do not reverse the physical changes the virus causes, they do manage the urge to shape-change, allowing the victims to live a normal life.
These suppressants are expensive to procure, due to the virus being so rare. In some cases victims have been known to self medicate with recreational drugs, however this is ardently opposed by the medical community as the mental and physical backlash that the victim will suffer if they miss a dose is extremely painful.

Sequela

As the virus wishes to continue to live in a healthy host, victims become more resistant to other diseases or maladies as the lycanthropy virus fights off foreign bodies introduced to the body.
This also means that victims become unable to receive blood transfusions or organ donations, unless the blood or tissue was cloned from the victim post infection, as the virus will attack the new cells.

History

Although many throughout history have doubted the existence of werewolves and the like, the simple fact of the matter is that there are too many tales about such creatures existing for them to be completely ignored. Occasionally stories sprout up about young children suddenly becoming ill and growing claws and fangs and a great deal of hair. They usually either run away, or are then kept away from the others in the world. It is far rarer for stories like this to be about adults.

Cultural Reception

Given how horribly the Groundless are treated by the rest of society, werewolves have no desire to draw attention to their own kind, preferring to hide in plain sight and to accumulate the wealth necessary to disguise their large families, love of hunting and genuine need for sprawling estates as the eccentricities of the wealthy.
While in reality, victims may face negative backlash, in fiction it can be more complicated. While there are tales of bloodthirsty monsters, in the last few centuries the trend has been geared towards more sympathetic, noble beast archetypes.
It should be noted that there is a certain level of fetishisation of those afflicted. Romance novels and adult oriented media are well known for including the 'idealised' werewolf. This generally means overtly attractive, at the whims of their base instincts, and likely to salivate a great deal at the thought of intimacy.

Type

Magical

Origin

Magical

Rarity

Rare