Pale Hoof Sepsis

Transmission & Vectors

Pale Hoof Sepsis is acquired from bacteria found in the undead entering a living being's bloodstream or mucus membranes. The bacteria can be transferred in a number of ways, making the disease troublesome to contain once an outbreak has occurred. Scratches, bites, and abrasions when dealing with the undead are the easiest way to transmit the disease, however it can also be spread by bodily fluids without direct contact from an undead carrier, such as from cleaning up blood, saliva, or other fluids that had contact with one. Infections will generally not show symptoms until its incubation period is complete, which generally takes up to two weeks, though those with lowered or compromised immune systems may show symptoms sooner. Once the infection begins showing symptoms, the infected person is considered infectious and may spread the disease to others, even if not undead themselves.

Causes

The disease is caused by bacteria known to inhabit undead beings, having first originated in the The Land of Gods.

Symptoms

Increased saliva and mucus production, fever, increased sweating, chills, boils and cysts, necrosis, gangrene.
Improper body temperature regulation is also a common symptom, caused by profuse sweating and chills. Infected persons may seek to warm or cool themselves excessively, not realizing they are worsening their temperature regulation and symptoms.
The disease gets its name from the horseshoe shaped cysts and boils caused by the necrosis and gangrene of the tissues in severe infections. Oftentimes once these horseshoes begin to show, the disease has become life threatening and requires immediate treatment to prevent it from becoming fatal.

Treatment

Treating Pale Hoof Sepsis is difficult, requiring extreme doses of broad spectrum antibiotics. Antihistamines, fever reducers, and many over the counter pain relievers, which are often taken by patients before they realize they have Pale Hoof Sepsis, can mask the symptoms and make it harder to diagnose until the infection is already severe. It is commonly said that once the horseshoe cysts begin to appear, the disease is no longer treatable, however this is not the case. Infected persons can still be treated at this stage, but their treatment will be long, painful, and dangerous. Oftentimes, the disease will still be contained to the originally infected limb when the cysts form, and amputation and skin grafts of infected areas have proven effective in late stage treatment as a last resort.

Prevention

Proper hygiene of decomposing undead individuals can prevent the spread of the disease, killing the bacteria at the source.

Type

Bacterial

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Extremely Rare