Rostral Quietus
Rostral quietus is a potentially lethal parasitic disease spread by the bites of mosquitos and other blood-sucking insects. The disease has a fearsome reputation because it slowly robs affected communities of their vitality, causing the streets to become eerlily quiet. The disease also heralds famine because agricultural workers are the most likely to become infected, being the ones most likely to work outdoors where the disease-carrying insects live and breed.
Transmission & Vectors
Ticks and mosquitos are the most common carriers of microscopic Rostral quietus parasites, depositing parasites into the victim's blood stream with their bites. Cysts in a host's blood are consumed along with the blood when an insect bites a victim, completing the cycle of infection.
Causes
The parasites that cause Rostral quietus live in the bloodstream, subsist on red blood cells, and produce substances that induce further fatigue in the host (see Symptoms). In addition to reducing the host's own ability to circulate vital oxygen and nutrients, the loss of increasingly large numbers of blood cells puts strain on the liver and kidneys trying to filter out the byproducts of blood cell death from the blood stream. The parasites do not often infiltrate other tissues, but the do reproduce quickly enough that the immune system is hard-pressed to keep up.
Symptoms
Starting from one to three weeks after initial infection, sufferers become febrile and increasingly more prone to exhaustion a result of the depletion of oxygen-carrying red blood cells. Rashes and jaundice may appear on the body as the liver struggles to clear hemolysis products. The parasite that causes is Rostral quietus also produces a narcoleptic toxin that further saps the physical capabilities of the patient, causing them to sleep for longer and longer periods as the population of parasites in the bloodstream grows.
Treatment
Once a diagnosis of Rostral quietus is made - generally via microscopic inspection of the blood, though blood assays are becoming increasingly available - anti-parasitic drugs can be administered to provide relief. These drugs are 95% effective at curing the disease, the remainder resulting in remission and a chronic disease state (see Prognosis).
During an acute or resurgent infection, supportive care includes bed rest, intravenous fluids, blood transfusions, and possibly the insertion of a feeding tube. Anti-febrile medications may be administered to reduce dangerously high temperatures. In severe cases, the liver and kidneys may become so damaged that dialysis and transplantation are required.
Prognosis
Untreated Rostral quietus is directly fatal to the host in around half of all cases, the sufferer's immune system being unable to clear the infection in time and the number of red blood cells being consumed by the parasites overwhelming the number the body is capable of producing. In around 20% of cases, the cause of death is instead malnutrition, dehydration, or exposure as the sufferer is increasingly rendered unable to care for themselves. In the 25% of cases, the patient's immune system is capable of supressing the disease but not necessarily clearing it completely, resulting in a chronic condition where events that suppress immune responses (i.e. severe stress) can cause a flare-up at a later date. In the remaining 5% of cases, the disease clears completely on its own, with these cases occuring almost entirely among verdial patient populations.
Prevention
Prevention of Rostral quietus involves three pillars: vaccination, pest control measures, and public awareness campaigns. A vaccine is available for Rostral quietus and is often administered as part of public health campaigns in regions where the disease is common (i.e. the Stay Active Ereteusutaio campaign). Pest control measures, such as pesticides, the draining of stagnant water pools, and insect netting on domiciles, help reduce the populations of biting flies that transmit the parasites from one victim to another. Public awareness is important both because it helps potential victims avoid situations where they might catch the disease and, should they become infected despite precautions, it helps them recognize the symptoms so that they can seek out prompt treatment.
Epidemiology
Rostral quietus is most commonly found in warm, wet regions where the disease vectors are more common; the tropical Rostral Tesseract is particularly prone to harboring the disease.
The parasites that cause Rostral quietus are capable of completing their life cycles in the bloodstream of any hominid, though verdials show both a resistance to initial infection and greatly improved chances of spontaneous clearance. Ovinex can catch Rostral quietus, but only if their immune system is otherwise compromised (i.e. due to advanced age or coinfection with woolstrike).
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