Catriona plague

Catriona, named after the Nilfgaardian ship that brought it to the Northern Kingdoms, is a disease which is extremely similar to the bubonic plague and is, in fact, the bubonic plague. It also became known as the "Red Death".
One droplet from a colony of catriona bacteria in one hundred quarts of water is sufficient to induce infection, and in the absence of medical care, the illness terminates in death in 93% of cases. However, when medical care is provided, the mortality rate drops to 89%. Individuals who survive develop complete immunity to the disease and never succumb to it again. Nearing the end of the Northern Wars, weaponisation of the virus was considered, though due to the disease only surviving less than 12 hours in dilation, and the immunity of many survivors leading to a possible vaccine, this was dismissed.
== History ==
During her escape from the world of Aen Elle, Ciri traveled through the time-space continuum and one of her stops was probably medieval Europe in our world during the plague epidemic in the 14th century. She entered a port town which could be Genoa or some other Mediterranean port. She was immediately repelled by the place because there were the corpses of people and animals lying in the streets.
There were also many burned buildings marked by white crosses and many fleas. She escaped to another point in the time-space continuum, but before she was able to do so, a few fleas stuck to her jacket. Her next stop was another unnamed port town. She was able to discern that the port lays in Nilfgaard. She decided to quickly leave this place as well, but just before the next time-space jump, one of the surviving fleas jumped from her jacket and made itself comfortable on an old sewer-rat. This rat boarded an old dirty hulk which set sail that very evening for Cintra. The name of the hulk was Catriona. Later in the Saga, there is small note about a dying tomcat who had caught a rat which left that hulk.
A year after the Battle of Brenna, the Red Death reached the city of Maribor, in the largest outbreak of the disease up to that point. Most of the physicians and priests fled the city during the epidemic, likely exacerbating the situation. Among those who stayed were Milo "Rusty" Vanderbeck and Iola the Second, who treated the diseased, undeterred by the lack of a cure. They both became infected. Rusty died in Iola's arms, and Iola died alone four days later.
== ==
St. Lebioda's Hospital in the Temple Quarter of Vizima is filled with the victims of Catriona, and Shani spends her time trying to help them in Chapters II and III. She probably works in the hospital during Chapter IV, as well, but Geralt is no longer in Vizima to witness this.
According to the old women in the Outskirts, when the plague first came, the first to go were the cats and dogs, then the rats and finally the people. Apparently, the lack of food even drove some of the more desperate to cannibalistic and necrophagic acts and many ghouls were created as a result.
=== Glossary entry ===
:Catriona
:A disease which quickly spread through all the northern countries after the war with Nilfgaard. Those who suffer from catriona die a terrible death - their convulsions become stronger each day, they vomit blood and mucus, and have bloody diarrhea. After a fortnight or so they die in agony.
== ==
The plague is rampant across the North's war-torn countryside in the wake of the invasion by Nilfgaard's legions. Keira Metz will find a cure to the Catriona plague in the years that follow the end of The Witcher 3 if she is invited to Kaer Morhen.
== Gallery ==
Gwent cardart neutral epidemic alpha.png
Gwent cardart monsters rat.png
== External links ==
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==References==
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uk:Катріона
ru:Катриона
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Category:History
Category:The Witcher (computer game)
Category:The Witcher 3