Titan's Tears

Titan's Tears is a rare viral hemorrhagic fever specific to turians. It bears similarities to the human Ebola virus. While a cure for the virus does exist, the disease progresses so rapidly that by the time it is diagnosed, it is often too late to save the patient. The virus spreads through direct contact with body fluids, such as blood, or from contact with items that have recently been contaminated with infected body fluids. Diagnosis is confirmed by testing blood samples for the presence of viral RNA, viral antibodies or the virus itself.
Symptoms typically start between two days and three weeks after infection. The first symptoms are often overlooked, as they emulate the symptoms of other, more common illnesses: fever, sore throat, muscle pain, and headaches. These are then followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, and decreased liver and kidney function, at which point patients begin to bleed both internally and externally. The name of the virus - Titan's Tears - alludes to the defining final symptom; bleeding from the eyes. By the time this symptom manifests, it is often too late to save the patient. 
The mortality rate for Titan's Tears is between 25%-90% and kills about 50% of patients on average. Death is often due to shock from fluid loss and typically occurs between 6 and 16 days after the first symptoms appear. Early administering of anti-viral drugs and the treatment of symptoms drastically increases the survival rate of a patient. 
Control of Titan's Tears outbreaks requires coordinated medical services and community engagement, including rapid detection, contact tracing of those exposed, quick access to laboratory services, care for those infected, and proper disposal of the dead. Prevention measures involve wearing proper protective clothing and washing hands when in close proximity to patients. This, and the control of other infectious diseases, is overseen by the Dicasterum Salutis and, more specifically, the Ministerium Aegrori. 
In 2183 CE, there was an outbreak of Titan's Tears on the turian colony of Invictus. When the turians sent medical transports to the planet from the Citadel, carrying the cure for the virus, human xenophobic terrorists attempted to poison the cure to ensure mass deaths in revenge for the First Contact War. Thankfully, the terrorists were apprehended by turian forces but, had they succeeded, they would have killed millions of people. The ringleader of the terrorist cell, Weisman, was arrested but his second in command, Finch, escaped. He was later apprehended and turned over to turian authorities by Spectre Agent Desolas Arterius II. Weisman and Finch were later tried in a Citadel court and found guilty of premeditated genocidal intent. Both received life sentences for their crimes.
Category:Turian diseases
Category:Medicine
Category:Lore