Almean diseases

Questions or discussions about Almea or Verduria-- also the Incatena. Also good for postings in Almean languages.
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Almean diseases

Post by Brel »

One of the things that surprises me about Almean history is the lack of discussion about disease (unless I am forgetting something in the Almean Atlas, which I haven't viewed in a couple years). What are the characteristics of the major diseases of Almea, how and where did they originate, and where and when did particularly severe epidemics occur? Further, are there diseases that, e.g., only flaids get but not humans, or vice versa? And in keeping with their advanced technological state, have the iliu conquered all the diseases that might have once afflicted them?
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Post by GreenBowTie »

Has there ever been a great plague on Almea?

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Post by zompist »

The original Atlas was thin on this sort of thing, but I've tried to be more aware of it since. There were major plagues noted in the Skouras atlas and at several points in Arcel's history. (One major point, of course, was the colonization of Fananak when the continents exchanged devastating plagues.)

I hadn't thought about inter-species diseases, but I like the idea, especially as it could impart a general reluctance for dealing with other species. Don't pine after the elcari in the mountains, boy, you'll get sick.

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Post by brandrinn »

zompist wrote:I hadn't thought about inter-species diseases, but I like the idea, especially as it could impart a general reluctance for dealing with other species. Don't pine after the elcari in the mountains, boy, you'll get sick.
If the illness in question has similar symptoms to anthrax, I imagine a myth about amorous Elcaril might be used to explain to your wife those pustules you get when you go into the mountains with no one to keep you company but your goats ;)
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Post by Atom »

zompist wrote:I hadn't thought about inter-species diseases, but I like the idea, especially as it could impart a general reluctance for dealing with other species. Don't pine after the elcari in the mountains, boy, you'll get sick.
Doesn't that seem less likely then diseases that are species-specific? Considering the genetic diversity I find it unlikely there will be many diseases that can only effect one species but use another species as it's reservoir. I'm not saying it won't happen, I just think that there will be more diseases specific to only one species. Therefore, hanging out with a more species diverse group would actually be safer.

Although considering how closely related all of the Homonids are to each other I imagine many of their diseases will spread to each other.

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Post by Dewrad »

Atom wrote:Although considering how closely related all of the Homonids are to each other I imagine many of their diseases will spread to each other.
Interesting thought: the Almean equivalent of HIV originating with (say) the icëlani.
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Post by zompist »

Actually diseases do spread between species... Jared Diamond suggests IIRC that the Old World had more nasty diseases because people lived in close quarters with domestic animals.

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Post by Nortaneous »

But are all the species that can transmit it affected by it? It's pretty well established (maybe even more common) for one species to carry it and be unharmed. So a more species-diverse group would be more unsafe; you can still get sick from everyone, but you don't know who will get you sick. (Yeah, that could happen within one species if the incubation period is long enough, but it's more likely if there are more species.)
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Post by Unbidden »

Flu travelled from the first domesticated horses to humans and somewhere along the way has also managed to infect birds, pigs and who knows what else.

Viruses are very good at adapting.
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Post by brandrinn »

And bacteria don't even have to adapt sometimes; food is food, after all.
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Post by Unbidden »

What about a like a protist like Plasmodium (malaria) that needs two different species to complete its life cycle.

That could be interesting...
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Post by Salmoneus »

Almost all of the major big diseases originally came from other species. Yes, the closer the species the more likely the jump (in general), but jumps will still happen.
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Post by Niedokonany »

Salmoneus wrote:Almost all of the major big diseases originally came from other species. Yes, the closer the species the more likely the jump (in general), but jumps will still happen.
I also suspect it's the jump event that contributes to their "majorness". Subsequently, as alleles enabling individuals' immune systems to deal with them spread in the population, they become less dangerous. There is also some selective pressure choosing the less virulent pathogen types since they don't kill off their hosts too quickly to spread effectively.
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Post by justin »

I'd think the Elenicoi would have brought a few alien bacteria with them in the Translation, no?

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Post by Atom »

I see. In the case of such closely related species as the Hominids I can certainly understand all you points, although I think that if you analyzed a mixed-species town versus a homogenous town, I think the mixed species town would come out better since there is more genetic diversity, so no plague could hurt all the inhabitants. So more dangerous for the individual, less dangerous for the society.

However, what about the ktuvoki and illiu? They seem quite different from Hominids. Maybe that's another benefit of living in a ktuvoki ruled society, the fact that you've shrunk your pool of possible disease carriers, since your ruler can't give you diseases.

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Post by Yiuel Raumbesrairc »

justin wrote:I'd think the Elenicoi would have brought a few alien bacteria with them in the Translation, no?
While they may pass bacteria (since they use cells as food), viruses are out of the question, since they need functional DNA and, well... zompist claimed that Almean DNA doesn't work the same way as Terran DNA.

Then again, we don't know what happened in that Translation, the miracle might have done a bit more than just Translate people from one world to another.
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Post by joey »

What about interspecies STDs?
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Post by Dewrad »

Entwistle54 wrote:What about interspecies STDs?
Is there much interspecies sex? I know Zomp's mentioned that humans can have a kind of perverse fascination with icëlani, and there seems to be a certain eroticism around the ilii, but would (say) an elcar ever do a human?

(I'm assuming that nobody would want to do it with ktuvoki, not least due to not having the right set of organs.)
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Post by zompist »

Dewrad wrote:(I'm assuming that nobody would want to do it with ktuvoki, not least due to not having the right set of organs.)
That's only because the Japanese haven't discovered Almea yet.

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Post by Yiuel Raumbesrairc »

zompist wrote:
Dewrad wrote:(I'm assuming that nobody would want to do it with ktuvoki, not least due to not having the right set of organs.)
That's only because the Japanese haven't discovered Almea yet.
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We could wonder if there are any Flaids humanlike (luckit) enough to perhaps enjoy it. Or humans flaidish enough... It would seem to me the closest possible.(Especially in the Neziora.)
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Post by joey »

It wouldn't necessarily have to depend on whether different races enjoyed doing it with each other. What if there were, like, a sexual-slave-trade, or if concubines of a certain species were highly-valued?
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Post by joey »

I'm sure the ktuvoki could think of something.
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