Brainrot Paralysis

Brainrot Paralysis is a deadly disease that is known to claim thousands of lives every year. Hirsham Hopewell, an Astorian physician, was the first one to develop a prevention. By mixing infected blood with a sodium sulfate, he could create an inactive form of the illness that could be used for inoculation. This discovery saved the lives of the royal family during an outbreak and earned him international fame. However, there are still no known cures once the disease has set in.
The first symptoms of the disease are tinging and weakness in the extremities. As the disease progresses, nerve function declines, and speech is heavily affected. Patients struggle to properly pronounce words and lose the ability to form correct sentences. Paralysis moves up the body towards the core. As it progresses, patients appear to stare blankly unable to focus properly on anything. Death occurs when the heart or lungs become paralyzed. It takes a month for the patient to die after the first symptoms are noticed.
A notable case in Etra involved Dread Elina. She was a cook for the Spyrous family when they all fell ill with Brainrot Paralysis. She remained healthy. A few months later, she found employment with another family, but her time there only lasted a couple of weeks. Shortly after her departure, they also showed symptoms of the disease and died. Believing that she was cursed by the gods, the town ostracised Elina, and she left penniless. Neighboring towns shared similar stories of a housekeeper that killed every family she worked for. After her death some years later, it was discovered that she carried some natural immunity to the disease, but it proved impossible to replicate.
Brainrot Paralysis is a virus transmitted commonly through contaminated food and water. Epidemics are rare, but incredibly devastating. An epidemic in Astoria in 3772 wiped out 40% of the population. The most recent one was in 5013 in Dalursund. A quarter of the population died within three months.