Expert: Rachel Murdoch - 1/2/2009

Question
QUESTION: How would the HIV virus affect a vampire?  Me and a friend have been discussing and we think either that the vampire would continue to live forever but be constantly ill.  The alternative hypothesis is that the virus would not be able to live within the vampire as it would not make a suitable host.

Please help.

ANSWER: HIV would not affect a vampire at all because a vampire does not rely on any bodily function to survive as a vampire. therefore even if the virus did attack the vampires system it would not affect the vampire, even without blood itself a vampire can survive but experiences symptoms similar to those as a human experiencing starvation. hope that helps, thanks for your question xxx

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: So does a vampire still carry out bodily functions?
Do vampires need to eat 'regular' food? Specifically regarding intake of carbohydrate and the obedience of the laws of thermodynamics in a system. Following this assumption the absence of certain amino acids in a vampire diet would render the vampire unable to heal correctly and so a bruise, for example, would be a permanent feature possibly resulting in sepsis or possibly necrosis of the affected area. Also can a vampire sweat and urinate? Or is any fluid intake also remains a permanent feature of the vampire, resulting in swelling as more blood is consumed?

Answer
no vampires are not living creatures, they are demons living in dead bodies. vampires ingest food so that they can heal theselves, use their supernatural powers and perform basic actions of movement. food is not a requirement but as seen on occasions in buffy some vampires eat just because they like the taste. i'm not sure about the peeing part but if they do in buffy it would probably be regular pee, because no matter what liquid you consume normal urine is produced. blood to vampires is like an energy source, it is used up for energy so it wouldn't lead to swelling in the body.