SCP-3105
Laxity
Electron micrograph of a human cell infected with SCP-3105.
Special Containment Procedures
Samples of SCP-3105 are to be stored in a liquid N2-cooled storage container. Testing with SCP-3105 is to be subject to standard precautionary procedures for virulent pathogens. Note that SCP-3105 constitutes a Class A, UN 2814 biohazard.
Description
SCP-3105 is a neurotropic virus, exhibiting morphological similarities to Rabies lyssavirus. SCP-3105 is able to infect almost all animals to some extent, though the infection it causes is asymptomatic in non-human hosts. SCP-3105 can be transmitted by airborne particles, bodily fluids, or an animal vector1.
In humans, SCP-3105 enters the bloodstream and infects neural pathways. It travels through nerve axons via retrograde transport to reach the central nervous system, in a manner very similar to R. lyssavirus. However, the transportation stage of an SCP-3105 infection occurs over an extremely short period. Symptoms of infection will begin to present themselves an average of 5 days after contraction, though this value varies wildly, depending on the location and mode of initial infection, from 2 hours to 14 days. In addition, SCP-3105 targets Type II alveolar cells, causing minor shortness of breath and allowing airborne infection. Note that SCP-3105 is largely asymptomatic during its transport stage, though it is still present in the bloodstream, and remains infectious.
Once SCP-3105 reaches the central nervous system, it will target the medial temporal lobe2. It will infect and destroy neurons involved in this process over the course of two days. The method by which SCP-3105 identifies target cells is unknown, and presumed to be anomalous. Symptoms at this stage of infection include anterograde amnesia.
After destroying much of the medial temporal lobe, SCP-3105 will infect peripheral gial cells that are left behind, allowing it to remain dormant in the central nervous system for up to 3 months. In the final stage of infection, SCP-3105 targets parts of the temporal lobe assigned with semantic and episodic memory. This results in severe retrograde amnesia, resulting in inhibition of basic cognitive functionality. The final stage of SCP-3105 infection lasts between 5 and 19 days.
SCP-3105 infection also triggers the secretion of cytokines3, deactivating cytoxic T-cells and preventing an effective immune response. This mechanism also prevents artificial attempts at preemptive immunization.
Recovered autobiographical text from an SCP-3105 victim seem to indicate the retention of some memories, despite the observed destruction of the tissues required to store and consolidate this information. Furthermore, the information presented in the text seems to be shared between several individuals. Testing with SCP-3105 has failed to show evidence for this phenomenon.
Addendum 3105-1: Recovery
Initial samples of SCP-3105 were collected after unidentified GOI activity in the area surrounding Spruce Creek, Colorado, and the subsequent radio silence from the town. Much of the local population, as well as local insect populations, were found to be infected with SCP-3105. Armed Response Force Omega-6 was mobilized with the express purpose of destroying all SCP-3105 instances using incendiary munitions. The resulting wildfire was allowed to burn until noticed by firefighting services in the region, and was explained as an accident involving Spruce Creek's stores of emergency gasoline.
Addendum 3105-2: Recovered Text logs
The following is a series of notes collected from the forest surrounding Spruce Creek. Monospaced text represents physical notes4, whereas standard text represents unsent messages and journal entries recovered from an abandoned mobile phone. The material has been ordered chronologically, based on digital timestamps, location of recovery, and chemical dating. A search for the apparent surviving SCP-3105 victim has been initiated, but has yet to produce results.