Crimson Root Fever

Crimson Root Fever, a disease that once killed over 300 people in Ithlor (one of the Four Regions of Adgonaglamar) every single year. Luckily a cure was developed recently, which has brought its death toll to almost zero. Most who die from it nowadays do so because they couldn't receive treatment in time.

People get infected with the disease after eating Crimson Root. One of the more prolific roots in Ithlor, it is cultivated throughout the Region. The root itself is very nourishing; during hard times people often turn to it as their main source of food, also because it can be stored easily and for a long time. In the wild, a weary traveller acquainted with the local customs can find hidden caches of the root, as a last resort in case he is lost or immobilised.

But these roots can also attract a specific type of fungi. Once infected, it is very hard to detect whether the fungus is present on/in the root. It's parasitic and lives off the root, but by hardly leaving any visible damage. At most the root's growth will be slowed down, meaning the chance of coming across the fungus in smaller roots is higher than in larger roots. Yet that is no guarantee, which explains the high death toll.

Botanists and doctors in Ithlor have been working hard the past years to develop a cure or treatment for the Crimson Root Fever. Sadly, without much success. The chance of surviving an infection depended mostly on the general condition of the patients, regardless of treatment. Even perfectly healthy citizens would sometimes succumb to the fever.

Luckily doctors managed to develop a cure for the disease last year. The right medicinal treatment combined with close monitoring of the patient during the fever, to adjust the dose of it when necessary, nowadays cure almost every single patient. Only those already severely weakened from famine or other illnesses are still at risk of dying, even when treated.

Type

Fungal