"Symptoms"? I... don't think that there is such thing as a vampire virus or disease going by previous posts. Vampirism is a lifestyle/culture. It's possible to have pale skin by not exposing oneself to the sun. You don't have to be a vampire to have pale skin.
I think "characteristics" was the right word there. There are people who take it seriously, and purposefully make themselves to look and behave like fictional vampires; not going out in sunlight, wearing fake fangs, drinking the blood of humans, etc. However, not all of them do - some people just enjoy the taste of blood.
When I say "drink", I don't mean guzzle from a glass like water. It's more like sucking from a cut in the flesh. The human stomach and digestive system doesn't like blood, and can irritate the lining. So... "guzzling" blood would make someone sick.
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