Doe Eye Fever
Transmission & Vectors
Bites, Scratches, and bodily fluids entering the bloodstream or mucous membranes are the most common forms of transmission for Doe Eye Fever. It is thought that the disease is a mutated form of rabies, as its vectors are extremely similar as are many of the disease's symptoms. Infection does not only come from wounds given by an infected person or animal, however, as other methods of exchanging fluids such as IVs, organ transplants, sexual intercourse, or eating infected meat that has not been properly cooked can also spread the disease. Due to Doe Eye Fever causing severely increased infection among those afflicted with it, the most common form of infection comes from wild animal attacks.
The disease is zoonic in nature, having first appeared in ungulates such as deer, later spreading to their predators such as griffons and the Belarus Lion. It is believed that the virus was able to spread into various wild pig species and cattle through attacks by griffons and lions, where it was able to jump to most humanoids through repeated contact. Cases of the disease have never been found in Mermidae of any kind, however, likely due to that Mermidae rarely interact with any of the original species that the disease originated in.
Symptoms
Those infected by the disease do not show symptoms for a lengthy period of time, generally between one to four months after initial infection. Despite a lack of symptoms, those inflicted by the disease are still infectious at around two weeks after initially contracting the disease, as their viral load increases. Initial symptoms are often easily ignored or mistaken for more mundane conditions, such as allergies. The initial symptoms often include itchy skin, dry eyes, sore throat, and increased irritability.
The longer the disease is active, the more severe its symptoms become. The eyes and nose will begin to weep near constantly and the body will produce an excess of saliva and sweat, all of which can spread the infection to others. Vision may begin to fail as a result of the body's inability to regulate moisture and that 95% of those infected will develop hydrophobia and no longer drink unless forced due to spasms in the throat. Aggression levels will increase severely, making the disease all that much more likely to spread among wildlife and wild animal attacks are as a result, the most common form of infection among people. Seizures caused by brain damage and degradation of vital sectors of the brain become progressively severe, often resulting in paralysis, coma, and a lack of breathing. Most often, death will occur with six to eight months.
Treatment
Unfortuantely, treatments for Doe Eye Fever are few and far between. The only successful methods of preventing the disease is vaccination before the onset of initial symptoms- once symptoms begin, the disease is incurable and has a 100% fatality rate.
Prognosis
If a patient, be it person or animal, has begun to have symptoms of Doe Eye Fever, death is certain and almost always a slow and painful process. Most wild animals infected succumb to dehydration, brain damage, or fever, however most people infected by the disease will die as a result of seizures, coma, or brain death. Animals, particularly domestic griffons infected, will almost always be humanely euthanized before the worst of the symptoms begin. In people, symptoms can be managed for up to two months through medications to reduce viral load, however it cannot be fully stopped. Infected persons are often given a choice to be put into induced comas for the short remainder of their lives once seizures become frequent and prior to the loss of most memory and increased aggression begins, to avoid the painful process of dying.
Prevention
Thankfully, the disease can be prevented through vaccinations within two weeks of exposure, and these vaccinations last for up to 50 years, though will begin to decrease in strength after about 25 years. Vaccines can be given orally for prevention in both people and animals, however injection is the method of choice for suspected exposure. Pet domestic griffons are required to be vaccinated as are all registered hunting dogs.
Type
Viral
Origin
Natural
Cycle
Short-term
Rarity
Uncommon
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