Rumase-Associated Illness
RAI, also known as ZAI, is the condition of having been infected with the viral component of Rumase. This viral component is often called the Z-virus, hence the other name Z-virus Associated Illness.
When RAI develops without the use of Rumase as Rumase is normally prescribed, it has three distinct stages.
Incubation
During the incubation phase, the disease is almost completely silent. The only consistent symptom is nasal congestion and sinus headache. It was widely believed that this phase lasted somewhere between two days and two weeks, but it is now known it can last only a few seconds or be extended to just under a month.Turning point
During the Turning Point, the patient has a massive seizure, after which they fall unconscious.Chronic phase
This is the phase that infected live with for the rest of their life. For most infected, this means living as a Cyclers. Less common are the Carriers, who might mistakenly consider themselves immune. Relatively rare are the Romeros and Asympototes.Transmission & Vectors
The Z-virus is generally spread by salivary contact with an open wound. Blood-to-blood transmission is also possible. If a Z burns their mouth prior to biting, the chance of transmission is greatly reduced. Damage to the salivary glands will also reduce transmission. Removing them completely will prevent biting transmission, but this isn't advised, as removal of salivary glands can cause health issues.
The virus can be sexually transmitted, but without kissing this is rare. Although the T-Virus and C-Virus are also contagious via contact with saliva, the Z-virus spreads much more easily to the point that someone bitten to the point of drawing blood is virtually guaranteed to get infected.
Symptoms
The most well-known symptom of the RAI is the RAASC (Rumase-Associated Altered State of Consciousness), an altered state of consciousness characterized by singular motivation, disrupted speech patterns, muscle stiffness, and herd mentality.
Treatment
There is no cure.
A treatment has been devised by the CDC and has been forcibly carried out on some infected, but it does not fully remove the virus from their system. It involves removal of new underarm glands, the VNO, salivary glands, and gonads of the patient. Licentia formally considers this to be an act of torture, but lacks the political clout to pressure nation-states into not using it.
Prognosis
The prognosis of any particular patient is never clear until the turning point has been reached, although guesses based on statistics can be made.
A minority of infected die of cardiac related issues during the turning point. Most of those who die had preexisting cardiac conditions, but a few cases appeared in healthy individuals. This number varies as Licentia now tries to keep newly-infected under medical supervision during the turning point, but the current estimate is 0.3% under medical supervision and 1.9% without it.
Sequela
Due to Uptaking DNA from the food that they eat, Zeds eventually become genetic chimera. This usually has little effect in XRAIs/Zedheads other than making DNA identification difficult, but can lead to Xenoexpression in Mercers and Trifected.
Hosts & Carriers
Non-human animals can be affected by RAI. When RAI occurs in a non-human animal, it used to be called Zoological Rumase Associated Illness, but because that shortens to ZRAI and it's already informally called the Z-virus, the new terminology is Non-Hominid RAI (NHRAI). This eludes to the fact that primates are affected almost identically to humans, although due to the lesser intelligence of monkeys (ie, non-apes) their ability to follow orders may not be all that great. Great apes (family hominidae) are the only non-human animals which seem to benefit from the 'Cannibalism Cure,' as well as the only non-human animals which show an increase in cannibalism when infected.
The behavior of NHRAI dogs towards other NHRAI dogs does not change much, although NHRAI stray dogs will be more inclined to form packs. A NHRAI dog will be able to communicate more easily to an infected owner than if either or both did not have RAI, and can be trained to follow pheromone commands.
NHRAI housecats are almost identical to non-infected housecats, other than being affected by the freeze pheromone and being a bit more tolerant of each other. NHRAI big cats will be noticeably more tolerant of each other. Lions, which already form prides, will become almost completely tame around other NHRAI mammals provided they are not hungry or see the others as competition.
Reptiles can in rare cases become infected, and when they are, they can detect pheromones. But they will not instinctively react to them. Essentially, this means no change in behavior, other than the fact pheromones can be used a signal for falconry and the like. (Yes, birds are reptiles.) Ap Anish's flock of chickens are all infected, and due to some botched training, tend to flock together and follow tall people religiously. It should be noted that birds tend to have very poor olfactory organs when not infected and that NHRAI only seems to improve it somewhat.
Insects cannot, strictly speaking, develop NHRAI. However, some species will react to some pheromones, as they are essentially the same pheromones that they use, such as the aggregate pheromone.
Cultural Reception
While the majority of infected are able to spend most of their lives outside of this state if given proper intervention, the image of silent, shuffling people in search of food has already been seared in the public consciousness and will forever dominate relations between infected and non-infected.
Type
Viral
Children
Origin
Engineered
Cycle
Chronic, Acquired
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