[IC] The Plague

[Kitwana Antara]

 

[Kitwana Antara]

Some basic stages and information about this disease in the Kitwana'antara.


This disease is terminal and incurable. Perhaps the God of Healing or Pestilence could ease the suffering or even wipe the disease from their body, but this has yet to happen or take place and probably won't for the foreseeable future. If a lion or lion-hybrid within the pride infects the disease, there is nothing that can be done.

The majority of the pride is infected with the virus. Any lion or lion-hybrid is susceptible to picking up the disease; cubs are infected upon birth and many cubs die early if the disease is vicious enough. Still, not every lion or lion-hybrid will walk away a victim. There are about 5% that never show any sign of illness at all despite being surrounded be the plague. This small group is naturally immune and could be easily be considered perfectly healthy.

Others will show beginning signs of the disease for about a week or two before shedding the disease and returning to fairly-normal health. These lions and lion-hybrids are carriers and can still infect non-carriers of the disease just as easily as those whom show symptoms. Carriers will always be more susceptible to falling prey to other diseases and infection, thanks to having a compromised immune system. Carriers make up about 10-20% of the pride.


The rest of the lions and lion-hybrids in the pride are diseased and show symptoms in some degree or another. Sometimes the virus is slow and may even stay dormant for a time, causing pride members to believe them carriers until symptoms show. In other cases, it is a voracious, wasting illness that moves swiftly. It isn't entirely surprising to find some lions dead within days of contracting the plague. Cub-death is very common as it will often ravage the weakest members of the family first, and during particular bad spells, whole litters can be wiped out within weeks.

Beginning Stage Symptoms:

The beginning stages of the disease can sometimes be confused with that of a severe cold. Aches and pains in the joints (more of a nuisance than anything damaging), occasional chills or fevers (again, nothing that doesn't go away after a day or two) and they tend to be more easily exhausted than another lion or cub their age.

This stage can last anywhere from a few days to many years and can fluctuate in severity from week to week.

For the most part, members of the pride that are in the beginning stages can function as a normal lion can. They still can hunt and still can play etc. etc. They're just a bit weaker than others and might need to take a day or two to rest and recuperate from a fever or chill.

Intermediate Stage Symptoms:

Beginning symptoms become worse and the infected start to suffer from headaches and occasional bouts of vertigo/dizziness. They become weaker and though their appetite doesn't suffer, it becomes more difficult for them to keep food down. Nose bleeding isn't uncommon and on bad days its difficult for said lion to breathe. Phlegm is regurgitated now and then as well.

Depending on the individual, this stage can affect each lion differently; some are practically overwhelmed and begin to starve as they cannot eat well while others can still function adequately. Depending on the amount of energy they have, some can still hunt (if that was their position) and go about life as best they are able. Others are more overwhelmed and in need of more assistance from pride members and nurse-types.

It isn't uncommon for a lion or lion-hybrid to waffle back and forth - some days doing well, other days suffering severe symptoms. This stage can last anywhere from days to years.

Advanced Stage Symptoms:

Once a lion reaches this stage, it is well known that only the lucky will die swiftly. This is the stage where the lion or lion-hybrid suffers the most. The phlegm in their lungs thickens and they struggle to breathe properly. Wheezing and gasping for breath is a sound that many within the pride are accustomed to hearing.

Many lose their appetite or just choose not to partake in the feasting at all due to weakness or an inability to keep food down. What food they do eat has a greater chance of coming back up and some are just too weak to keep on getting so violently sick. Starvation is the better choice for some as wasting a death as it too can be. Chronic pain, especially in their joints, is evident and causes much grief. Internal hemorrhaging is also much more severe. It isn't uncommon for a lion to bleed out from their ears or eyes, mouth, nose and other places.

This stage is the worst by far. Lions and lion hybrids are rendered useless and are usually separated by choice from the younger and more sprightly lions. If they are lucky and favored, death comes swiftly to their side. . . . If they are found unfavorable by Pestilence (or so they assume) they suffer and waste for weeks and months.

Death:

Death comes in one of these few forms.

Starvation: Self-explanatory. The lion or lion-hybrid either grew too violently ill to keep food down or was too weak to swallow, lost his or her appetite completely and couldn't be encouraged to eat, or chose to stop eating despite the hunger pains.

Asphyxiation: Due to the extreme build-up of phlegm in their lungs and body most lions will eventually pass away thanks to suffocation.

Hemorrhaging: Due to mass internal and external hemorrhaging, massive blood loss will render the lion or lion-hybrid unconscious and eventually cause death.

Organ Failure: After so much stress on the body, organs will begin to fail as the body realizes its doom is imminent.

~ ~ ~

This disease, once begun, cannot go in to remission but a lion or lion-hybrid might bounce up and down health-wise. Some days he is feeling better while other days he thinks this might be the end.

While the disease can lie dorment and go undetected for awhile, no lion who has it will ever be completely cured. Eventually it will begin showing symptoms and signs. There are no magical cures.