Nobolian Miasma or Starving Sickness

The Nobolian Miasma (or later known formally as Starving Sickness) was a viral infection that affected the lungs and stomach of the victim. Severe coughing and complete loss of appetite were the main symptoms, both of which leading to the body being able to fight back less and less as it is drained of nourishment and energy. The disease has a survival rate of 18% and can kill within around a week of symptoms starting, and symptoms don't start until a couple of weeks of initial contraction, but it can still be transmitted.

There were two epidemics of Starving Sickness, the first time during 948 - 942 BFB, and the second during the years 565 - 560 BFB. The disease did spread to other nations, but they were warned of what to do before it ever became a huge issue elsewhere so the epidemic stayed mostly in Nobolia.

Transmission & Vectors

The virus causes severe coughing, so its primary way of transmission is airborne. It can be transmitted by infected items or fluids entering the body somehow, but does not last as long in liquids as it does on surfaces.

Causes

Before Nobolia had developed, it was a normal disease but didn't cause too much trouble. Sort of like the common cold. After Nobolia grew and grew, the disease was able to spread far easier than it could before. This allowed for it to mutate more and it became a far deadlier condition.

Symptoms

The victim won't know they have the disease for a few weeks. The virus hides for a while gradually multiplying discreetly until it begins to attack fully. Once it does, it targets the lungs and stomach primarily. Severe coughing can come around almost overnight, with worse cases coughing blood and bile. It also leads to a heavily reduced appetite, the host struggles to eat much of anything and are starved of energy. As the host grows weaker, the virus only grows stronger as the body puts up less and less of a fight.

It is usually fatal, with a survivability rate of only around 18%.

Treatment

Generally the main treatment is surprisingly simple. The victim needs to eat. The virus starves the host so it can have less resistance from the body. If the host can keep themselves fed, then generally the body can deal with the virus itself after a week or two of suffering. The reason that the virus is still so dangerous is because it basically kills any appetite the host has. They struggle to eat absolutely anything, and even if they can, if often leads to vomiting. Plus, even if they are well fed, there isn't a known treatment for the coughing; if the victim has a really bad case of it, then they will likely die anyway because the lungs start to fail.

Healing magic in Adremesis doesn't just solve health problems on a whim, they generally accelerate the regeneration of wounds and soothe pain. Due to this, magic didn't really help the victims. It could help them suffer less, but it would never really save a life.

Prognosis

The symptoms start suddenly so it generally only gives about a week before the victim dies.

It would start as just a strong cough and a reduced appetite. After just a couple of days, the coughing gets heavier with the victim often coughing up blood and bile. They will also have little to no appetite at all and while likely not eat or drink anything on their own accord. If they are not fed after about 5 or 6 days, then they will likely die because the body is just so undernourished and completely drained of energy. If they are well fed but they don't recover after about a week, then the coughing alone will almost certainly kill them by that point.

Sequela

If the victim survives, they will have severely weakened lungs, scarring will likely occur. The coughing should be generally gone, but they may rarely still cough blood. Their appetite won't be restored immediately, it will take a long time for the body to readjust, but it should eventually return to normal-ish.

Affected Groups

The virus was indiscriminate on who it targeted. Young or old, it was easy to be infected. It did affect the elderly the worst though due to their age already being a factor, but that's quite normal.

Hosts & Carriers

It can be carried by some birds though they are not affected by it. It can be transmitted from them via droppings or corpses.

Prevention

Usual prevention stuff. Be very wary of the coughing of the infected since there is likely airborne discharge.

Epidemiology

The virus originally became a problem after larger and larger groups of people were becoming more commonplace which allowed it to spread easier. Since it is quite easily spread by coughing, some random person in the street that cleared their throat in a crowd could single-handedly cause an epidemic.

History

The disease has been around since long before humans were. The Raxarians did experience it, but at that time it was far weaker and less transmittable and so was never a major issue. It eventually got given to birds who held onto it for hundreds of years until an unfortunate human contracted it, most likely by hunting and eating an infected bird. Since then, it gradually got stronger but the human population was too sparse for it to spread easily. That is, until the first Kingdom of Nobolia was founded. Now there were loads of people meeting in groups which allowed the virus to spread significantly easier. It was mutating far more now and it became more threatening. It wasn't until 948 BFB that it would become a true terror to the populace. It spread like wildfire, but no one really knew what was happening or what to do. When the Nogolem came into existence, it helped purge the virus. It utilised a form of magic that essentially strengthened the body, allowing it to fight back harder. It didn't solve the infections nor did it ever stop them completely, but it did save many lives and reduced the threat of the virus altogether.

Cultural Reception

During the start of its first epidemic in 948 BFB, the victims were treated like any other sick people; bed-ridden and tended to by family or doctors. This often meant the virus could easily spread in a household and made it even harder for the victims to recover since the people helping them are also suffering as they are. As it developed, it became clear that separations needed to be made. The victim would have to be separated from the rest of the family either in their own room of the house or in a specialised hospital, the patients would then only be seen to by doctors. The hospitals were usually the worst option because it just made a place for the virus to thrive. Separating the victims definitely helped in reducing the virus' impact, but it only did so much. Masks were not worn and people who had been in contact with a victim would not be isolated themselves. People with the disease were simply called "starvers", though there was never much fear or hatred directed toward those who had it, unless they were not isolating or being careless, etc.

Type

Viral

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Extremely Rare