The Davos Virus, a zoonotic virus, was diagnosed near Davos, Switzerland. The virus manifested itself as three conditions not commonly found together in one disease. The virus was generally hemorrhagic, it attacked the respiratory system, and produced a DNA mutation that resulted in infertility. Initially thought to be connected to nesting birds in the nearby peaks, it became known as the “Davos Virus”.
The Davos Virus was identified as the H7N7 variant of the Influenza A; the virus was a very unusual zoonosis spread by simple dispersion in the air or by contact with the skin. It was identified as an Avian influenza, yet the specific bird carrier would not be identified for some years. With the number of new cases dropping to less than 10 per week by the end of 2085, the Davos Virus seemed to be confined to the mountains of western Switzerland.
In the first 11 months, the contagion was responsible for the illness of 40,000 Swiss, with a mortality rate of 25% or 10,000 people. The pathology of the disease was (uncharacteristically for a virus) 30 to 40 days in duration. However, in 2086 the World Health Organization realized that while the mortality rate was 25%, 90% of the victims were made infertile by direct systemic damage to their DNA. More alarming was that the incubation and gestation period of the disease was 12 to 17 months. Thus the outbreak in Switzerland was not abating as originally assumed, but entering a dormant (or apparently dormant) phase. Further, it was discovered that the disease was spread during a portion of its dormant period, and the virus was passed with terrifying simplicity, from host to target by simple aspiration or contact.
