Subject: Disease Vectors
From:
Kris Steel
I love a good disease as a GM, they are the little folks that just keep on keeping with PC's for years [:)] The only thing better than a good, nasty, f*ck-u-up disease is a really mean vector to transmit it, you can keep your bullets and bombs to hurt PC's with, this is the sh*t that will get 'em running [:)] The last one in particular Im quite proud of, PC's will never go into a sewer again worrying about pigs, manchines or psycho's...
Fleas are not host specific but have preferred hosts. Pulex Orientens is the human flea but can be found on DACs, DAFs, rats, pigs, and other warm blooded mammals. This particular species has been shown to exhibit a high tolerance to pesticides and has been known to carry a wide variety of flukes, worms and bacterium that are transmitted to people when they are bitten or contact with the flea. As a threat to people they are only an irritation that bites and causes misery from the itching after, secondary infections from scratching the bite area can also occur.< /P>
This particular pest is more common in Downtown but the occasional plague of them hits the suburbs, bringing with them a wide variety of contagion’s and sickness. Normally they like carpeted floors and bedlinen where they will lay their eggs and multiply in numbers quickly. Keeping an area clean and regular dousing with pesticides will keep them at bay but if they aren't controlled quickly the numbers quickly build up again.< /P>
They are responsible for the ‘Blue Yaws Plague’ (Treponema pertenue) of 874, which killed a large number of people in downtown several years ago and is characterised by widespread skin tissue death if it isn't treated quickly with antibiotics.< /P>
Size: 1-2mm long
Weight: Not much
Appearance: Reddish-brown abdomen with a black head
Move: 0.6m (jump) < /P>
This is the largest native mosquito found on Mort and it has been seen on numerous other planets in small numbers. Nicknamed ‘Bandits’ by the locals for their black and white striped legs they are notorious for biting through nearly anything, it is not unknown for this monster to crawl under and in-between power armour plates and pierce through the ballistic lining to take a bite out of the wearer! Being bitten is a quick and painful occurrence, which has been likened to an electric shock as it draws out 0.5 to 1cc of blood in less than a second before flying off. There are stories of people being drained completely of blood by these insects but more likely it is an urban myth or the ‘White Death’ serial killer, depending on which myth you subscribe too.
More dangerous though, the insect is a carrier for the deadly and feared “Sector 3 fever” a hemorrhagic fever which has a 2-25% mortality rate if not treated quickly.Size: 40-60mm long
Weight: 1-2gms
Appearance: Large 4 winged insect with black and white bands on all 6 legs
Move: 2m (fly)
Found anywhere human waste is in large amounts, this particually dangerous organism is capable of entering the human body either by ingestion or skin contact with infected substances (water, sewerage). Very hard to detect, it is common in people living or working in dirty environments and can take up to a year to make its home and begin breeding within the hosts body. It mainly attaches itself to the liver and has been known to attack the lungs, kidneys and heart in some people. Once it grows, it forms a cyst. This cyst crowds adjacent normal tissue and impairs the tissue's ability to function. If the cyst ruptures, the fluid within the cyst can cause anaphylatic shock (blood poisoning).
Surgery is the only effective treatment for these cysts.
Prevention can be done by avoiding contact with sewer water, eating raw meat, sterilisation of clothing and armour that has been worn in these environments.
Size: 0.1mm long
Weight: bugger all
Appearance: Can only be seen under a microscope, clear amoeba that is bottle shaped.
Move: very bloody slowly