Shanti virus

Shanti virus
Molly's virus shows on a monitor.
First mentioned:	Six Months Ago

The "Shanti virus" is a life-threatening disease that attacks the blood cells. One of its side effects is that it prevents evolved humans who have the disease from using their abilities. Shanti Suresh is the first known victim.

About

Seven Minutes to Midnight

After Chandra's funeral, Mohinder first learns from his mother about his sister Shanti, who died from the virus two years after he was born.

Homecoming

During a dream, Mohinder witnesses a conversation Nirand and Chandra have about Shanti and her death--Nirand tells him to let go.

Six Months Ago

Chandra tells Mr. Bennet about a genetic defect in his daughter, Shanti, which resulted in her untimely death and his interest in evolved humans. Chandra calls the mutation a "genetic anomaly".

The Hard Part

Thompson tells Mohinder about Molly and her virus, which Shanti also had. Thompson explains that the virus destroys the nervous system. Mohinder is unable to find a cure, until he realizes that he is the cure. He gives Molly a sample of his blood.

Landslide

Healed, Molly's ability is unlocked, and she proves it by locating Matt Parkman.

How to Stop an Exploding Man

Mohinder tells Mr. Bennet that the antibodies in his blood are what cured Molly.

Molly relapses and Mohinder gives her another transfusion. Though Mohinder says it will take some time work, Molly is able to access her power.

Graphic Novel:Blackout, Part 1

Mohinder, inside a New York City hospital, finds a teenage patient who is an evolved human. Believing that he has the same illness as Molly and his sister, Mohinder gives his own blood to the patient. The blood appears to cure the patient and release his ability.

Graphic Novel:Blackout, Part 2

Mohinder realizes that the teenage patient never had the virus, and the reason for the patient's problems is that he has not learned to control his ability.

Four Months Later

Mohinder gives a presentation in a Cairo lecture hall. He urges the visitors to fight to secure human evolution. Later, Bob convinces Mohinder to work for the Company on a cure for the virus. He also hints that Mohinder would be a hero if the virus spread to the unevolved population and he had a cure.

Lizards

Mohinder is sent by Bob to Haiti to treat a man who is exhibiting the exact same symptoms that victims of the virus exhibit. This man turns out to be the Haitian. At first, the Haitian refuses to be treated by Mohinder, saying that because he abused his powers, they are now taken away by God and he is suffering for his past actions. Mohinder finally persuades the Haitian to take a transfusion of his own blood. Later, the antidote works and the Haitian's life is saved and ability reactivated. During this time, Mohinder's fears of the virus spreading are realized as if an evolved human could be affected so far away and the virus itself is more virulent, and would have killed the Haitian by the next morning without the antidote.

Graphic Novel:The Crossroads

Mohinder goes to Port-au-Prince to cure the Haitian of the virus.

The Line

Mohinder is forced to decide whether or not to use a mutation of the Shanti virus on Monica in order to try and come up with a cure for the virus. This could quite possibly take her ability away, and he is pressed by both H.R.G. and Bob to use the sample on her. At the last second, his good judgement kicks in and he decides to not use the virus on Monica, and smashes a case of the stuff in Bob's lab.

After arriving at the building Peter painted, he and Caitlin are accidentally teleported to the future, presumably July 14, 2008 in New York City. The whole place is desolate, and on the ground is a piece of paper indicating that an evacuation took place. At the end of the episode, there is a flash forward to next week's show. It states that 98% of the world's population is dead, presumably by the Shanti Virus, as there were scenes of bodies stacked up in bio-containment chambers.

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Notes

• The exact name of the virus is unknown. NBC called the illness the "Shanti virus" in a promotional video.
• The characters who have been infected by the virus are:
  • Shanti Suresh (Homecoming, Six Months Ago, The Hard Part)
  • Molly Walker (The Hard Part)
  • The Haitian (Lizards)

• So far, whether the disease is contagious or just a congenital condition is not known.
• Antibodies extracted from the blood of Mohinder Suresh have cured at least two victims of the disease, Molly Walker and The Haitian. Mohinder initially thought a teenage patient might also have the virus, but determined he was wrong after trying to cure him with his blood did not have the desired effect.
• In his lecture in Cairo, Mohinder implies that this illness only affects evolved humans. (Four Months Later)

Fan Theories

Please refer to Theory:Shanti virus for fan-created theories and other speculation.