Fydeng Moa Disease

Fydeng Moa Disease is the rather unpleasant condition that occurs when one is bitten by a Water Sprite. These creatures traditionally go for the ankles, and while some lucky souls manage to avoid infection, most people exposed have to suffer through it. Roughly translated as "Purple foot disease", this ailment is a common problem for those who like to tramp across the countryside and drink water from brooks.
It is highly unpleasant, and while the cure is a very simple thing, the sequence of symptoms comes on very quickly so a sufferer will have to go through at least a short period of the disease before being properly cured. The majority report no further side effects, but some individuals end up with their skin permanently colored purple.

Symptoms

The most obvious symptom is purple feet. The other most obvious symptom is the swelling that goes along with it. Other symptoms can and most likely will include:

• Extreme toenail growth
• Bloating and gas
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty walking (not from the swelling, but from the nerves in your feet failing to communicate properly with your brain)
• Cravings for fish
• Something commonly called "scale skin" where the skin of the feet and legs turns hard and begins to slough off like a snake

Treatment

There are actually two different cures, depending on whether one prefers to go to science or to magic to fix it.
If by magic, one must undergo a ritual of medium difficulty. The ingredients include window flowers, Brangel's chamomile, and is one of the few actual uses for lightning parsley. Prepared under the sun at midday, the potion is applied with the appropriate words to the feet and hands of the afflicted. They must then wait an hour and they will be cured. Eventually. Symptoms still take time to die down.
The scientific method involves taking a pill, and then receiving the treatment intravenously once one has been knocked unconscious. I am told it is quite a large needle and a rather painful drug. It does tend to have better and more immediate results.
Without treatment, the disease will get worse and worse until the person either loses their feet or else their feet turn reptilian in nature and the sufferer now has snake for feet.

Prevention

The only known way to prevent this disease is to thoroughly protect one's ankles when around water sources, especially when you know that there are water sprites nearby. The other way is to squash the nuisances before they can strike. They're just intelligent enough that if they see one of their own fall, they'll likely run away.
Other than that, if you are bitten, you will be infected, and there is no changing that.

Type

Bacterial

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Common