In the world of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series, Lycanthropy is considered a disease just like any other transmittable disease. Even though six states in the U.S. have Varmint Laws on the books (Laws that make it legal to shoot and kill a lycanthrope on sight provided they prove to be a lycanthrope afterwards) It is illegal in the rest of the country to discriminate against shapeshifters just like it is the victims of any other disease.
Unfortunately though, it still happens. Doctors who are found to be lycanthropes find themselves the victim of budget cuts and lose their jobs.Even though Lycanthropy isn't contagious while the shifter is in human form, no one wants a werewolf operating on them.
School teachers lose their jobs because people don't want a shifter around their children. Small restaurants and family owned businesses go bankrupt because people don't want to shop or eat at a place run by a shifter. Sometimes police even look the other way when a lycanthrope is being physically abused.
Its no small wonder that most lycanthropes feverishly hide what they are to the outside world.
Some general points to remember about Lycanthropes in General in the game:
* Lycanthropes have faster then animal speed and reactions, as well as a greatly enhanced sense of sight and smell. They are strong enough to lift and toss cars, and can crush bones with their grip. In a fight they can rip out throats with hands or teeth, disembowel opponents with claws, punch into their bodies, and snap spines with their bare hands.
* Lycanthropy can be transmitted only by a shifter in animal form or bad vaccine. Though the contagion is usually spread by bites or claws, saliva and blood may transfer the virus, no mention is made of semen. Cat-based lycanthropy is less contagious than the rat and wolf forms. A person may torn up by a Weretiger and not become furry. On the other hand a scratch from a Werewolf and the victim may be busy on every full moon from then on.
* The first shape change usually takes place weeks after the initial infection, or at the next full moon. The initial change is very violent and may be accompanied by some memory loss. The first few full moons will be almost complete blackouts.
* Lycanthropy can be determined by a blood test. An extreme method for diagnosing lycanthropy is to cut off a limb; lycanthropes will have fur on the inside of the skin.
* Infecting a minor with lycanthropy is illegal and it carries a death sentence.
* Alpha lycanthropes are stronger and faster than other lycanthropes of the same species. They possess power and abilities that regular lycanthropes do not. The leaders of the various packs are Alphas, but not all Alphas are in leadership positions.
