Swamp Rot

Colloquially called "Swamp Rot", paludis putredine is a condition that primarily affects those that live in Cetan's northern Marshland, though strains have been reported in other wetlands across Baltha. The condition can be debilitating and lethal, but a long holistic tradition has grown to combat the illness. Most people that contract it survive it, though not without losing a finger or two.

Transmission & Vectors

The diseases primary operation is to spread the Black Hook fungus found in the Cetanese wetlands. The fungus is so named for it's long, sharp tendrils that can pierce skin. In nature, the fungus grows primarily on decaying plant life, but it thrives on dead animals and people. The fungus is stiff and rigid, and has been known to hold up whole groves of trees, creating an ominous latticework in the canopy as it spreads from branch to branch.
It spreads from person to person by entering the skin, and as such, should never be handled directly. Those that treat the illness wear full body suits to prevent infection.

Symptoms

When contracted in a living creature, the fungus spreads through the body quickly, igniting an intense fever. Other symptoms are nausea, headaches, and in the worst cases, hallucinations. As the fungus slowly eats away at the tissue, the skin and extremities turn a deep purple and eventually atrophy. This is an intensely painful process, the only cure being immediate amputation.
In the best cases, an infected creature might live for up to two weeks without treatment, though will be writhing in agony the entire time as the fungus eats away at them. In the worst cases, the young, weak, or small usually die within just a few days if the infection isn't contained.
Those that cannot receive treatment at all are usually found in the wilderness twisted into misshapen, macabre statues as the fungus consumed their living body. They remain there until the fungus eventually dies or spreads to a new host.

Treatment

Extreme heat or cold can slow the spread of the fungus, but the response has to be quick, or the patient may become too far gone. Certain herbal remedies have also been known to slow the spread, but once infection occurs, nothing save removing the infected flesh through amputation or burning will stop the disease. Those that contract Swamp Rot are marked for life, but lethal cases are rare now a days, as local denizens know better than to approach a growth of Black Hook.

Type

Fungal

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Rare