What are the Symptoms
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea/vomiting
- Fever/chills,
- Bleeding (blood has difficulty clotting)
- Fur falling out
- Swelling of the lymph nodes and tar glands
- Coughing up blood
Timeline for Increasing Symptoms
The first symptom is a mild ache in the back of the afflicted's throat that is often misconstrued with a common cold or flu.
If not treated, the Zykla will begin to notice pain when attempting to expel their tar and a decreased volume and viscosity. The Zykla will notice an urge to consume the woods and resins one usually does in order to replenish one's reserves of tar. This is a trap. Symptoms will very briefly be alleviated, but the organism will feed on the new nutrients and multiply even faster.
The next phase is a cough. The sick will begin to cough. Their tar is now so liquidous that the glands can not contain it and it will begin to run down the back of the throat of the infected, causing them to cough up black, infectious phlegm. Worse yet, their coughing and the liquid nature of the tar often leads to accidental expulsion of the infectious tar when coughing.
Next comes blood. The lack of resins within the tar and the organism itself begins to change to the composition of the tar. It begins to become more and more acidic until it begins to damage the walls of the tar glands and the throat. Eventually, the acidity will become so bad that it literally eats away at the glands and throat of the infected. At this point, survival is unlikely, and even if it the infected lives, irreparable damage will be caused to the throat and tar glands.
Remedy:
As the Black Blood is a dire affliction, it's only known treatment is a well studied and well-kept secret among the Oracles and Shamans. A ritual blend of roots and herbs is prepared, a recipe that only the practitioner is allowed to know. Once ready the infected Zykla must be restrained as much as possible, their mouth kept wide open. With the use of a small, thin blade the Oracle or Shaman must cut into the back of the Zykla's jaws and open up each of the tar glands. If possible, the Zykla must try not to swallow the sickly blood and ichor that is released while the practitioner carefully scrape away as much of the infected flesh as possible before packing the wound tightly with the prepared mixture. Now whatever has accumulated in the Zykla's throat must be expelled and the mouth cleansed of any remnants. The wound may require additional packing and will continue to bleed for several hours but if successful, the Zykla's tar gland will recover the illness will have been purged.
The world is never so kind as to let capture and enslavement be its own torment. Once they are ripped away from their homes and thrown into mass pens, Zykla will inevitably come across what has become a rather common nuisance for the slaver's trading them. A disease commonly referred to as Hollow flu is virtually unknown among wild Zykla, but in the pens it very much a fact of life.
Typical Symptoms:
- Hoarse cough
- Sneezing
- Lethargy
- Low fever
- Loss of appetite
|
Details: Most recognizable by the Hoarse Cough as well as the sneezing it brings on, the illness can and often will manifest with symptoms of Lethargy, a Low fever, and even Loss of appetite. No Zykla from any region has shown a particular resistance to the infection and even those that have contracted the disease previously show no immunity once returned to the cages. The only kindness offered by the disease is that it is at least a mild disease causing very few deaths or even long term afflictions among healthy Zykla. |
Remedies: While there isn't a direct cure for the Hollow Flu, simple herbal teas and chews can be used to suppress the mild symptoms. Although, more potent cases may require the attention of an apothecary as well as the far more concentrated remedies they concoct. Beyond these, all that the afflicted can do is wait out the course of the sickness. For those fortunate and hearty Zykla, a week's time may be all that is needed to shake it off in it's entirety, however, a frail victim may be forced to endure two weeks or more before recovering. |
Typical Symptoms:
- Rash
- Itchy blisters
- Fever
- Temporary furloss (due to itching)
Duration: Approximately 4 - 7 days depending on severity.
Details:
For many Zykla, Wither Pox is little more than a common and often disliked childhood memory. A mild and particularly annoying disease that manifests as a low fever and the swelling of random patches of hide. Along with these patches, a Zykla's fur will quickly thin out as small, itchy blisters irritate the skin and urge the infected young to scratch.
Unfortunately, this disease did not earn its name for what it does to children. For adult Zykla that were not exposed to it as children, Wither Pox is something Far more nightmarish. Where scattered blister may have been, the disease will manifest large swaths of swollen hide that will lose their fur entirely. Likewise, blisters will form and the itching alone can easily drive an adult Zykla to aggression or even mania as they seek any kind of relief even to the point of scaring their hides or harming themselves. Likewise, the Fever is no kinder and would leave the Zykla in a bed ridden delirium were it not for the constant itch that drives them. The combination of these two symptoms can rob the Zykla of the ability to sleep, to eat. After only a few days of this, an afflicted Adult Zykla can be easily mistaken for having lost their mind as their body appears to rot away.
Remedies:
|
Mercifully, the application of medicinal salves can soothe the itching and prevent further spread by covering the blisters. Failing that even the Zykla's own tar can be used to cover the rash, though mixing it with something to sate the itch is far more preferable. Heat Compression can also be used to quell the infection and encourage proper healing though can be uncomfortable for young for obvious reasons. In nearing a week's time, the blisters will subside along with that damnable itching and the Pox will be just that. A memory. | While treatment remains the same regarding the use of Medicinal salves or Tar mixture coverings, An adult Zykla at the height of the disease is prone to scratch or even gnaw through these as they provide minimal relief at best. As a result, the infected should be fully restrained during the duration of the disease both for their own safety and the safety of other Zykla around them. If treated properly and the Zykla has not been allowed to harm themselves, it is very likely that the fur will completely recover. For those unlucky or were free to claw at themselves, the scars will stay with them for the rest of their lives. |
Moderators: MoonDog