What is the leading cause of death in your world?

Azaren civilization may be relatively advanced, but knowledge of bacteria is still highly limited. Thus, hygiene, especially among rural communities, is not seen as a priority. Many bacterial infections still run rampant across the world, making them the leading cause of death. Among these, "blackout" is the most common. This anaerobic bacteria enters through the digestive tract into the magic stream. Then it will feed off the magic of the host and grow into small plaques, causing small black spots to appear around the high magic vasculature regions (like the hands and chest). However, these are often small and aren't immediately noticed. As no neurons are connected to the magic vasculature, no pain is felt either. This is what makes the disease so dangerous, as a patient won't notice that he is sick until it is too late. In advanced infections of Blackout, the main arteries supplying magic to heart may get clogged. The heart will then no longer receive magic and may seize functioning, resembling cardiac arrest. The patient will quickly lose consciesness and may die if not treated. It will appear like all magic is suddenly shut off and the patient is dry, thus the name.
This disease is most prominent among children and the old. Newborns still have a developing magic system with fewer defenses in place, making Blackout the leading cause of child deaths on Arkon.

Transmission & Vectors

Blackout is transmitted through contaminated water fruit, which is the predominant water source of the empire. The bacteria will lay its spores in the fruit and lay in wait for an animal to eat it. Then, it will invade through the digestive tract into the magic system.

Causes

The bacteria will typically grow in places with a hot climate and a humid environment. Usually, an animal's immune system can fight it off, but when weakened it will become deadly. This can occur in unhygiënic and underfed circumstances.

Treatment

A strong dose of antibiotics for 2-3 weeks is highly effective. This treatment, however, does not yet exist. Azaren doctors have realized that ingesting some specific molds can have ameliorating effects and that the patient must be well hydrated with clean water. A new treatment consisting of "donating" magic to a patient also has shown positive effects. This is mainly due to the donor's immune system in the donated magic attacking the bacteria.

Type

Bacterial

Origin

Natural

Rarity

Common