Foamjaw

Greater Viral Zoonotic Encephalitis

Medically known as Greater Viral Zoonotic Encephalitis, Foamjaw is a virus that causes swelling in the brain of Mortal Sapients and many Beasts of both the magical and non-magical variety. It is a variant of the Rabies (Rage Fever) virus and is known to be more deadly as it has been magically enhanced. In fact, many fatalities from Foamjaw are caused by medical practitioners treating bite victims for Rabies, not realising that their patients had actually contracted Foamjaw.

Foamjaw is nearly always fatal once symptoms appear and is resistant to Lesser Restoration and Cure Disease spells. Its symptoms are near identical to Rabies, though the foam associated with Foamjaw often has a more yellowish colour to it. Birds can be asymptomatic carriers of the disease, as can cold-blooded vertebrates, however, all Mammalian Beasts and all types of Mortal Sapient except for Kawako can contract the virus, even if they are usually immune to the Rabies virus. Despite the high number of potential carriers, Foamjaw can only be spread through bites, so Mortal to Mortal spread is incredibly uncommon.

The disease also has a significantly lower incubation period than Rabies, typically one to two tenday, rather than one to three months, thus its carriers tend to die out before they can pass it on.

Transmission & Vectors

The virus that causes Foamjaw is spread through saliva, typically through bites. An infected creature becomes infectious around a day before symptoms present themselves.

Mortal-to-Mortal transmission is relatively low due to most Mortals' inability to pierce skin with their teeth, though Fisdragua, Kobolds, Navians, Shifters, and Nekoto have more chance to pass it on in this manner. Kawako can carry the virus, but do not suffer from it, and are the only Mortal Sapients to be able to do so.

Causes

Foamjaw is caused by Lyssavirus Maiorrabies, a more potent variant of the Rabies virus (Lyssavirus Rabies). It is believed that the strain originated from a magical source, though it is not classified as a magical disease, but rather a magical mutation.

Symptoms

Symptoms of Foamjaw are nearly identical to Rabies, and often start nonspecific, such as fever, headache, and irritation at the original infection site. The disease progresses and causes inflammation of the brain, with subsequent symptoms including slight or partial paralysis, anxiety, insomnia, confusion, agitation, abnormal behavior (including rage), paranoia, terror, vivid hallucinations, and loss of consciousness with no apparent reason or warning. Infected persons may also display a fear of water that they previously did not have. The most obvious symptoms of Foamjaw is the foaming at the mouth, which appears as a yellowish hued excretion. These symptoms eventually progress to delirium and coma.

Treatment

Foamjaw can be prevented if the patient is offered the correct medications prior to symptoms appearing. However, once the symptoms appear, it can only be cured by Greater Restoration or Greater Cure Disease spells, which are often extremely expensive.

Prognosis

Once symptoms appear, death typically follows within two to ten days unless expensive spells are used, and even if patients survive, there can be long-term complications. The disease can be prevented by the correct administration of preventative medicines before symptoms appear.

Sequela

Treatment during the symptomatic period can result in neurological complications, and these can lead to declining quality of life.

Prevention

Foamjaw can be prevented by the use of certain types of preemptive potion that prevent the virus from taking hold within the brain. However, these potions are difficult to craft and expensive to procure, so few people ever actually make use of them.

Contents

Type

Viral

Origin

Mutated

Rarity

Extremely Rare