Shanti virus

Shanti virus
The Company mass produces the virus for experimentation purposes.
First mentioned:	Six Months Ago
Current status:	Strain 138 destroyed; various other strains in the Company's possession

The "Shanti virus" is a life-threatening disease that attacks the nervous system. 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.

Afflicted Characters

• The Haitian (cured)
• Niki Sanders (deceased due to unrelated causes)
• Shanti Suresh (succumbed)
• Sylar (cured)
• Molly Walker (cured)
• Much of the world in an alternate future, including
  • Dylan
  • Nathan Petrelli

About

Many strains of the virus exist, though only three have been mentioned. Mohinder Suresh seems to have antibodies in his blood that are capable of destroying the original strain of the virus, though by mixing it with Claire's regenerative blood, the antibodies "become stronger", apparently affecting other mutated strains in blood recipients.

Original Strain

According to Victoria Pratt, the first and original strain of the virus was discovered in Shanti Suresh on February 14, 1977. The effects of this disease are harmful if not treated and can block evolved human abilities. The only known cure is Mohinder's blood, which contains antibodies capable of destroying the virus. Because of the lack of specific equipment against contamination when treating patients, this strain of the virus appears not to be contagious through inhalation. According to Mohinder, only evolved humans are vulnerable to this strain of the virus.

The known victims of this original strain are Shanti Suresh, who died from the disease (Homecoming); Molly Walker, who was cured by Mohinder's blood (The Hard Part); and the Haitian, who was cured by Mohinder's blood. With the Haitian, Mohinder commented that the virus was starting to get more virulent and would have killed the man by the next morning with its reproduction rate inside of him (Lizards).

Unnamed Strain

A mutated version of the original strain of the Shanti virus, this strain is used by the Company to block abilities without any apparent harm to the subject (similar to the ability negation pills). Besides this effect, this strain appears to be asymptomatic; infected characters don't show any visible sign of health damage. This strain cannot be cured by the the antibodies in Mohinder's blood, but by mixing it with Claire's (or, presumably, with any blood with regenerative properties), the antibodies change and can destroy the virus.

The known victims of this strain are Niki Sanders (Out of Time) and Sylar, who was cured by a mixture of Mohinder's blood and Claire's regenerative blood (Powerless). However, it seems that not even this mixture was capable of fully restoring Sylar's stolen abilities: aside from telekinesis, this strain removed all his acquired powers (The Second Coming). While in an alternate future, a few of Sylar's abilities were restored (I Am Become Death), but he may have simply stolen them again from other people possessing those powers.

Strain 138

A strain created through biological engineering, Strain 138 is the first strain known to infect normal humans. Its symptoms are deadly, and due to its high contamination rate, it was responsible for killing 93% of the world's population in an alternate future. That future's version of Angela Petrelli stated that the virus would eventually kill everyone in the world. Victoria Pratt also stated that if this strain of the virus ever got out, it would wipe out all of humanity. It also has the property of remaining dormant and undetectable once it has infected a victim, capable of suddenly becoming active (Quarantine). No cure is known. Since Peter destroyed the only known vial of the virus (Powerless), this strain is believed to be extinct.

Billions of victims were affected by Strain 138 in an alternate future, including Nathan Petrelli, who died in the first outbreak of the virus (Out of Time). There are no known victims of Strain 138 in the actual timeline.

History

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. 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 to 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 is in Port-au-Prince giving the Haitian instructions after curing him of the virus.

The Line

After Mohinder runs tests on Monica's abilities, Bob shows him a vial of a variant of the Shanti virus that the Company has engineered to take away person's abilities without harming them and orders Mohinder to inject Monica with it. Mohinder warns that purposely creating other strains of the virus could result in an incurable strain that can cross over into the general population, but Bob tells him experimenting with the virus is the only way to create a vaccine and that there are some people, like Sylar who have abilities too dangerous to be allowed to keep and they need to have a way to stop them. Mohinder later calls Noah Bennet and tells him that with the virus having been biologically altered, he may not be able to cure Monica after injecting her. However, Noah insists that its a necessary evil to stay in the Company's trust and Mohinder has to do it.

Later, Mohinder prepares to inject Monica with the variant strain of the Shanti virus but ultimately can't go through with it. Entering the Company's lab, Mohinder smashes the syringe against the wall and tells Bob that he refuses to infect Monica with the virus. Bob simply tells Mohinder someone else will then and there's plenty more of the virus where Mohinder's syringe came from. In response, Mohinder picks up a stool and throws it at a cabinet on the wall full of the Shanti virus, smashing the glass cabinet and destroying the vials of virus within. Mohinder then tells Bob that he's taking Molly and they're leaving. Bob later approaches Mohinder and admits he made a mistake in trying to force him to inject Monica with the virus, explaining that he's desperate to stop a man named Adam who is a threat to all of them.

Out of Time

After learning that Maury Parkman is coming to kill him, Bob Bishop tells Mohinder and Niki that they will have to inject Maury with the virus to stop him. Mohinder explains to Nathan that the virus takes away abilities but that it can also be lethal and he won't knowingly help spread the Shanti virus. Bob tells him that things have changed and they will use the virus to take away Maury's abilities and then use Mohinder's blood to cure him. Mohinder reluctantly agrees and Bob tells Matt that as Matt has the same abilities as Maury, he is the only one that can defeat him so that he can be injected with the virus. Mohinder and Niki then walk to the lab with Mohinder telling Niki that's what's left of the virus is there and each syringe only holds one dose. Niki notes that Mohinder is disturbed by what they are doing and Mohinder explains that he feels that even though they can cure Maury, injecting him with the virus is still wrong. Niki notes that killed a lot of people brutally and the Company could've injected her with the virus but helped her instead to convince him to do what Bob wants. As they retrieve the virus, Mohinder and Niki argue with Mohinder pointing out that the virus could wipe out a species while Niki believes it could stop Maury. Finding Niki's worst nightmare, Maury tricks Niki into going to kill Bob with an illusion of D.L. Niki takes a syringe of the virus with her, but Nathan manages to talk her down and Niki injects herself with the virus instead.

In the future, Peter and Caitlin are apprehended by a CDC hazmat team who demand to know if they are feeling sick and if they are infected to their confusion. Howard Lemay later tells Peter that he is officially dead and wonders how a dead man can be wandering around New York City with no sign of infection. After realizing that Peter truly doesn't know what's going on, Howard explains that in the future Peter has arrived in, the Shanti virus became a pandemic starting on March 20, 2007 when the first case was reported and has killed 93% of the world's population to date. Howard tells Peter that in the future the little that is left of the human race is living in quarantine and desperately seeking a cure to the Shanti virus to save themselves from extinction. He then shows Peter a room filled with hundreds of bodies, all people who had died of the virus in that week alone. Howard later brings in Peter's mother who tells him that he needs to remember who he really is so he can stop the virus from ravaging the world. Angela tells Peter that Nathan died in the first outbreak of the Shanti virus but Peter can change that and everything else. When Peter wonders how, Angela tells him that he absorbed Hiro Nakamura's ability to time travel which grants Peter the power to go back in time and alter the future. When Peter insists he can't control his powers, Angela tells him that he must because if Peter can't go back and stop the Shanti virus, it will kill them all. Peter's frustration over his inability to remember who he is and control his powers leads him to read Angela's mind and learn that she is his mother.

After Maury's defeat, Mohinder treats Niki with his blood but discovers that his antibodies no longer work on the Shanti virus. Mohinder realizes that the new strain is immune to his antibodies and his blood is no longer a cure for the virus. Mohinder informs Bob who promises to sedate Maury instead of inject him with the virus and destroy all of the vials of the virus the Company has. Bob then shows Mohinder an article on Claire Bennet's prank on Debbie Marshall and tells him that Claire's regenerative abilities could be the key to curing the virus.

Graphic Novel:Quarantine

In the future, Howard Lemay and his family head for Detroit to escape the ravages of the Shanti virus. They meet Dylan and find shelter in a Youngstown quarantine. Unfortunately, Dylan's delayed virus symptoms begin showing up after he is already admitted to the shelter, and he infects those locked into the quarantine with him.

Truth & Consequences

In a Montreal warehouse, Peter tells Adam that Howard Lemay called the virus the Shanti virus. Adam tells Peter of a woman named Victoria Pratt who recovered the virus from a young girl thirty years ago and attempted to make it a weapon. Peter suggests that they need to find her.

In a room, Mohinder tells Noah that Claire's blood has the properties of regeneration, and will help him save a woman from the virus. Noah tells him that it's all a lie, that the Company made the virus and has been experimenting with it for thirty years.

Niki and Micah talk, and she explains the she went to a place that helps people who are sick. She tells Micah she has a virus, and that she can't spread it, but Dr. Suresh is looking for a cure that will make her better. Micah asks what would happen if Dr. Suresh can't find a cure, but Niki insists that he will.

At Victoria Pratt's home, Peter finds a woman in her garden, who tells him she has never heard of Victoria Pratt. Peter tells her that he knows she worked for the Company, prompting her to pull out a shotgun and point it at him. He tells her in twenty-four hours the Shanti virus will be released, and that 93% of the world's population will be dead in a year. Curious to how someone could see the future, he tells her that he's been there. He asks for help, and she tells him to go inside her house.

At Primatech Research, in 1977, Hiro watches as Adam, restrained by guards, is told by Kaito that he is a traitor. Adam tells Kaito that he tried to save the world; that to release the virus would be good for a world of famine and constant war that disregards the environment. Kaito tells the guards to lock him up and throw away the key. Kaito turns off the alarm and enters a room Victoria is in. She tells Kaito that Adam was looking for Strain 138, a strain powerful enough to start a global pandemic. Kaito thanks her, but she tells him he that he needs to shut down the program. He asks for the strain and tells her he will lock it away at the Odessa, TX facility where it will be safe. She tells him that as long as it exists, they will not be safe. Kaito tells her the other founders would not allow that, and a concerned Victoria tells Kaito that Adam had help. Victoria tells him that she will no longer be a part of the work.

In present-day Searsmont, Peter is lead inside at gunpoint by Victoria. She tells him she has been expecting someone to come after her. Peter tells her about Caitlin, and how knowing where the virus is will save her. She tells him of the mutated strain that would kill everyone. Peter returns to Adam, and tells him that the virus is in a company storage facility in New Mexico. Adam tells Peter there was never a facility in New Mexico when he is shot by Victoria and thrown back into the windshield of the car. She shoots Peter, who falls back, telling him that if he's working with Adam, she doesn't need to know anything more. About to shoot Adam's head off, Victoria is knocked out by Peter. Adam tells him to bring her up to the house. Adam ties up Victoria. She tells Peter that he's helping Adam release the virus. Peter tells her he wants to destroy it. She says that thirty years ago, Adam broke into her lab to release the virus, but she stopped him. Now, he's trying to do it again. Adam responds by telling them that he broke into the facility to stop the Company from putting the world in danger. She asks if he killed Kaito, and that if it's now her turn. He tells her he's trying to save lives. Victoria calls Adam a killer, along with Peter since he's helping him, just like his parents. But he responds that what she was a part of is what will kill people. He asks where the strain is, and is able to telepathically find its location: Odessa, Texas.

Suresh makes a cure for the mutated version of the Shanti virus by combining Claire's blood with his blood. Bob congratulates him. Suresh is very upset that Bob still doesn't want to end research on the virus. When Bob asks him what they can do for him, he tells Bob to help him destroy all the versions of the virus the Company ever created. He then calls Niki to tell her that he found a cure.

Adam and Peter arrive at Primatech to destroy the virus.

Powerless

In his lab, Mohinder discovers that the Company injected Sylar with the same strain of the virus that Niki has.

Adam and Peter reach the vault in the basement of Primatech that contains the deadly Strain 138 of the virus. While Peter is outside the vault, being confronted by Hiro, Matt, and Nathan, Adam retrieves the vial containing the virus. Hiro teleports inside and teleports Adam away, but not before he drops the virus. Just in time, Peter catches the falling vial, stopping it from breaking on the ground. He cups his hands around the vial and destroys it.

Sylar injects himself with the cure to a strain which heals his wounds and cures him of the virus, restoring his original ability and one of his acquired abilities.

Webisode:Dark Matters, Part 5

One of the Primatech files that Quentin Frady sees on the Renautas root directory is titled "Shanti Virus".

Heroes Evolutions

On his website, Dr. Suresh posts several videos about advancements in his studies on the Shanti virus.

Notes

• NBC called the illness the "Shanti virus" in a promotional video, and this was confirmed in Out of Time.
• 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. The strain of the virus Niki contracted is not affected by the antibodies in Mohinder's blood.
• In his lecture in Cairo, Mohinder implies that this illness only affects evolved humans. (Four Months Later...)
• In a possible future, it is noted that Peter does not have any signs of infection after coming from the present. (Out of Time)
• In a possible future, Nathan dies from the Shanti virus in the first outbreak on March 20, 2007. (Out of Time)
• In The Hard Part, Thompson explains to Mohinder that the virus affects the nervous system. Since the brain is part of the nervous system and the brain seems to be the root of the abilities of evolved humans, this may be why the virus affects these abilities.
• In Powerless, when Peter reduces Strain 138 to carbonized dust, a faint imprint of the helix symbol appears in his hand before he pours the inert dust to the floor.
• In most cases, the virus seems to only suppress abilities, without taking them away entirely, as curing the virus restores affected abilities.
• It is possible this virus is now extinct: Mohinder destroyed all the vials he could find of it and planned to destroy whatever other strains existed and Peter destroyed Strain 138. Since these events, the Shanti virus hasn't reemerged, indicating it may in fact be totally destroyed.

Gallery

• 
  Mohinder looks at Molly's virus on a monitor in the Kirby Plaza building.
• 
  Mohinder uses his own blood in an attempt to cure a teenage patient he suspects to be afflicted with the virus.
• 
  The third painting in a series of eight shows a person holding a vial of the virus.
• 
  The Company keeps several samples of a modified version of the virus.
• 
  A hypodermic needle of the virus is prepared, intended for use on Maury Parkman.
• 
  After Niki Sanders injects herself with the hypo, Mohinder Suresh's antibodies fail to cure her.
• 
  In the future, Howard Lemay shows Peter hundreds of victims of the virus.
• 
  Strain 138 of the virus has the potential to kill all of mankind, if as much as a drop is released.
• 
  Adam manipulates Peter into helping him steal Strain 138 from the Primatech vault...
• 
  ...just before Hiro teleports Adam out of the vault, Adam drops the vial, but Peter prevents it from hitting the ground...
• 
  ...then he surrounds it with a small, contained nuclear reaction...
• 
  ...reducing Strain 138 to carbonized dust.

See Also

• For other uses of virus, see virus (disambig).

Fan Theories

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