The Burke's Virus: The Burke's Virus (aka The Bug) universe revolves around a strange virus that can cause human transformation and is considered nearly as common as the flu. It is not uncommon for a person to catch it again every year or so.

The virus is officially named the Burke's Biomorphic Virus after the scientist who discovered it, but is called Burke's for short and is also quite commonly known as The Bug.

A person infected with the virus will become ill from anywhere between several days to a little over a week. Symptoms include massive cramps, fever, chills, severe nausea, exhaustion and diarrhea or increased appetite depending upon whether the infectee is gaining or losing mass. It is not uncommon for an infected to have both diarrhea and increased appetite as their bodies crave extra energy for the change. A person infected with the virus will find their bodies changing to varying degrees while they are ill. The longer the period of illness, the more likely the more extreme the changes are likely to be.

The physical changes brought about by the virus can be quite varied and seem to be random. Most undergo minor changes, such as eye color, hair color, hair length, complexion and such. Less frequently are the mid level changes which include changing age by more than 2 years, height by more than 2 inches, ethnicity, or a general changing of body type. Extreme changes usually consist of multiple mid level changes, or of the body changing so drastically that they can no longer be recognized as themselves.

On extremely rare occasions, there are mutations in that the infected person develops traits which are abnormal. These people are referred to as Anomalies and include such things as mixed gender organs, organs or bodyparts of abnormal proportions (beachball sized breasts), or the development of vestigle or multiple limbs or body parts, such as multiple breasts or arms. Mutations such as this are so rare that there are probably no more than a dozen such cases in the United States.

There are a number of cases where a shift in sexual orientation is attributed to the virus, though many claim that there is no solid evidence and that the virus merely provides an excuse for previously repressed interests.

The virus is usually not lethal unless the infectee is already frail and unable to withstand the stress to their body, such as the old, infirm and extremely young. Most children under puberty seem to recover from the virus very fast and usually with only very minor alterations.

The origins of the virus are entirely unknown, though theories abound. When it first appeared, quarantines were set up to stop it's spread, though this did little good. Once people realized that there was nothing that could be done to stop it's spread, and enough people caught it and survived without harm, fear began to recede and people began to accept it as a part of life.

Most stories take place approximately 5 years or so after the virus appeared and after society has started to adapt. A number of social and legal changes have been adapted to deal with the changes brought about by the virus.
When someone changes ages, they are legally considered to be their true age, not the physical age of their body. A 25 year old man who is transformed into the body of a child would still be considered an adult while a 15 year old in a body that is physically 35 would still be considered a minor.

The system has adapted to quick changes of identification after a person changes. Affidavits of witnesses to the change and a series of questions often help to prove a person's real identity faster. While performing ID updates after a change, a person can register an Alter Name, an alternate name or quick first name change which allows them to use this new first name on all legal records and ID. This is usually reserved for people with gender shifts.

There are anti-discrimination laws to prevent people from being fired after they are changed by the virus unless they are physically incapable of doing their job...though this isn't always strictly followed. Nonfault divorces for those changed by the virus and no longer compatible are easy to get.

Story Examples: A Plague of Changes, A Touch of the Bug, After the Bug, Invisible No More.