Maelstrom Disease

Category:Curses
Maelstrom Disease (commonly known as The Infection) is a highly contagious disease contracted only by humans. 
=== Origin ===
Very little is known about the origin of the disease, other than that it is connected to the Maelstrom. There are several rumours about the origin, such as; misfolded prions in meat, terrorist attack, bioweapons testing gone wrong, and God's punishment for the sins of Man.
=== Initial outbreak ===
The exact date of the initial outbreak is unknown and estimated to be between 6-12 months after the Great War. At first, the government portrayed the outbreak to be flu-like, causing panic and confusion among the infected. The infection is known to spread through fluid-contact: being scratches and bites.
Five days after the blockade went up, the government grounded all non-military or -medical international flights, which lead to mass panic throughout the nation and a disgruntled response from the President. The response and lack of clarity from the government led to international leaders condemning them. Information from one of the Exclusion Zones is leaked, with an image of a man covered in blood and bites, one arm missing, in a street crowded with dead.
=== Second wave ===
After 8 days, shots and explosions occur at the border of the exclusion zone, catching the attention of infected civilians, leading to hundreds, maybe thousands breaking through the blockade. Within two days, the infection spread, littering the streets in dead along the way. As a last resort, the military blew the bridges across rivers, leaving those left to fend for themselves.
Something is released with the wave of the dead, as people begin showing symptoms of the infection without coming into contact with any infected. The Infection quickly spreads throughout the post war world, causing a breakdown of society.
== Infection ==
Initially the infection seemed to only spread via fluids - typically blood and saliva - and thus transmission rate was relatively low. Approximately a week after the war however, it mutates and an airborne strain develops, which then spreads much more rapidly after the incident at the exclusion zone border and the breach thereof.
=== Diagnosis ===
Those infected will suffer influenza-like symptoms for up to three days after contracting the illness, and eventually succumb - after which they will then reanimate within an hour after death.
The infection could also apparently be detected via blood tests.
=== Pathophysiology ===
The Disease t is likely of viral or prion origin, as it’s mentioned to be “flu-like” (virus). There are no known cases of surviving the infection, and so therefore the direct effects and immune response (if any) are unknown.
=== Immunity ===
Whilst select individuals (such as players) are immune to the airborne strain of the infection, there are no known cases of immunity to both the airborne and contact strains.