The Void Contagion
The sickness caused the scientists to begin to study the DNA of reptiles and amphibians to see if they could come up with a cure. From that research, they ended up doing research on humans. The initial doses of DNA were too high and actually caused the human to become half reptile. The "product" of the research was kept under close surveillance until one day he disappeared. More research was done on humans and more "products" disappeared. Rumors began to spread that the scientists were kidnapping vulnerable, poor people and testing on them. Society began to look upon the scientists as monsters who bred monsters but didn't actually come up with any cures. Local healers returned to their revered status.
Transmission & Vectors
The sickness was spread through contamination from mucus of the afflicted. A single droplet was enough to spread the sickness. The sickness could live outside the human body for an entire day. A person was contagious for three days before they started showing symptoms and less than a day after becoming infected.
Causes
A person picks up the sickness from a droplet or more of an infected person's mucus. They then become infectious after a day and symptoms develop within 4-7 days.
Symptoms
Physical symptoms: rash, fever, cough, runny nose, skin sloughing off, muscles atrophying, a void where there once was tissue, eventually death. Mental symptoms: later in the disease: confusion, agitation, memory loss, severe hallucinations.
Treatment
Healers recommend a tonic made from the leaves of the rare antkiller ivy. Scientists are researching treatment related to the DNA of amphibians and reptiles, due to their resistance to the bacteria.
Prognosis
Extremely poor. Most cases end in death. If a person can get to a healer and be prescribed the tonic, their chances increase. The research team is getting close to a cure with their amphibian/reptile DNA project.
Affected Groups
The sickness didn't discriminate. It took people of all ages, body types, sexes, habits, professions, etc.
Prevention
The only methods of prevention are extreme isolation of the patient, which is difficult because the sickness is infectious before there are symptoms, and rigorous attention to personal hygiene. Personal hygiene is not something that is high on anyone's priority at this time in Ayora's history. Strict handwashing protocols are only in place for doctors and nurses and have not spread to the general population.
Epidemiology
The sickness has spread like wildfire, borne on the wagons of traveling merchants and tinkers. Even the most remote villages have been touched. It spreads the fastest in populated areas like cities, where a person may cough on you on the sidewalk.
History
The first recorded cases began in January, 1839. The scientists had just taken samples from the Greening and the rumors that they were going to use it as germ warfare resurfaced. When the sickness became a continent-wide epidemic, the scientists came under sharp scrutiny. It was thought that even if they did come up with a miracle cure, no one would take it because the people didn't trust the scientists. The sickness ended abruptly in September, 1842. It is thought that it had killed all of its available hosts and the rest of the population was immune to the sickness, so it died out.
Cultural Reception
Once it became evident that the disease was spread by mucus, the victim and their family were immediately ostracized by their community. If the victim died and no one else got sick, the family was welcomed back.
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