Marasmavirus

The Marasmavirus is an that causes a host of symptoms to appear in the host, ranging from a preliminary fever, to skin lesions, psychosis, encephalitis and liver failure. The virus is recognised to operate in 5 stages, with a preliminary dormant stage and an often lethal final stage, due to it's relatively high infectious rate and high mortality rate, the virus generated lots of fear and concern during its initial outbreak in Baileneu Ma in 2003.

Infectivity
The virus is moderately infectious, being passed primarly through bodily fluids such as saliva, mucus, blood, pus, serous fluids and urine. Patients in the 2nd-4th Stages of infection tend to be the most infectious, with skin lesions, coughing and vomiting being the primary causes for inter-person viral communication. In some rarer cases, violent behaviour caused by Stage 4A such as biting, dismemberment and faecal battery has caused viral transmission. It is thought that this virus is spread by mosquitos in tropical nations, hence it's outbreaks in Baileneu Ma, Fordorsia and Tilenno.

Stages
The dormant stage of the virus can last up to 4 days after initial contact with host, where the host has no discernible symptoms. The second stage is characterised by a consistent fever, headaches, rashes and fatigue, and due to the nonspecific nature of these symptoms, the virus is often misdiagnosed or ignored. It is within this period that the virus can be transmitted through coughing and sneezing, with the second stage lasting between 2-6 days. Marasmavirus begins to visible by the 3rd stage, typically occuring within 8 days of initial exposure, where several skin lesions such as plaque, nodules, vesicles and in rarer cases bullas and pustules. This is also accompanied by lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting and dysentery, leading to many dying in developing nations due to dehydration and malnourishment. In some rarer cases, seizures and temporary blindness can occur, usually denoting an early onset of brain and meninges inflammation. About 60% of observed patients reach the 4th stage of symptoms (as others may defeat the virus or die from previous symptoms), where onset begins to cause behavioural issues within the host, such as psychosis, delirium, aggression, mania, anxiety and paranoia in about 40% of stage 4 patients, known as Stage 4A. Patients with Stage 4A Marasmavirus will often suffer from violent outbursts and irrational thinking, causing their behaviour to become extremely erratic and in some cases dangerous to themselves and others. In the larger portion of Stage 4 patients, paralysis and muscular atrophy begins to take over the host, with severe skin fissures, boils and tumours appear on the skin surface, where upon bursting, the pus and serous fluid is highly infectious. This is known as Stage 4B and occurs in 40% of those who reach this stage of infection, with some rarer cases of 4B infection causing the vomiting and coughing of blood, as well as bleeding from the eyes, nose and mouth. Stage 4 (A & B) symptoms begin to become present within the host after roughly two weeks since initial exposure to the virus, and can last up to 20 days in some cases. In poorer regions and severe cases, marasmus can be observed, hence the name of the virus, leading to a high number of deaths, particularly with children. In some rarer cases, there are reports of autophagia, cannibalism and extreme self-harm, due to the manifestation of psychological issues caused by the inflammation of meninges and the brain. The 5th Stage of Marasmavirus comes with a 93% mortality rate, with meningoencephalitis causing some patients (22% of Stage 5 patients) to enter a coma or pseudocoma (in some rarer cases brain death too), with those who manage to recover often suffering from PVS and catatonic stupour. Hepatic failure is also a major cause of death from Marasmavirus, as well as malnourishment and self-harm from induced delirium. Gangrene and necrosis from skin lesions and open wounds is the largest killer of patients with Marasmavirus that reach the 5th stage of infection, particularly in developing nations. Even when in intensive care, survivability is extremely rare for Marasmavirus, with most patients dying within 5 days of displaying Stage 5 symptoms.
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