Silent Scourge

In 2045, the world experienced a catastrophic pandemic caused by a mutated form of the toxoplasma parasite. The pandemic lasted several years, doing irreparable damage to thousands of patients. Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by the parasite, an infection most humans are capable of resisting. At worst, patients would experience flu-like symptoms. Environmental factors were to blame for the parasite's mutation, this new form being found mostly in untreated drinking water. It was named "toxoplasma nero" and was responsible for an increase in the severity of toxoplasmosis when ingested. Patients would experience flu-like symptoms for up to a week before the symptoms worsened. Loss of vision and hearing, migraines, muscle weakness, fatigue, confusion, seizures, and psychosis were among the more extreme symptoms.
The plague earned its name due to the irreversible brain damage most of its patients suffered. With hospitals pushed to their limits in every sense of the word, there weren't enough resources for the mass amounts of patients affected by the parasite. Without proper treatment, their motor skills deteriorated significantly and over time, the majority of these patients lost their ability to speak. The Silent Scourge came to a bloody end in 2050 with the rise of The Visionaries. The group once known as a friend to humanity murdered their patients in order to prevent another outbreak of the plague.
Unfortunately, toxoplasma nero was unable to be eradicated. Rural communities suffer the most from the parasite as it contaminated their sources of fresh water. Rats are possible carriers for the parasite, but the likelihood of any animal carrying this deadly variant is incredibly rare. Farm animals are at risk for infection, which is then spread through the ingestion of their meat or spread to the surrounding soil through their fecal matter. Before the fall of the CURE network, some rural communities were given medications to prevent severe infection. As of 2094, these medications are in short supply and many communities rely on alternative medicine and home remedies.

Type

Natural