1980 Azkali Plague

The 1980 Azkali Plague (1980-Azkaliden Tomagnai), or Azkali Flu (Azkaliden Tomakoz), was an outbreak of the bacteria Yersinia pestis in Azkali, Alloti, and partially Baphia, from 1980 to 1986, and from 2004 to 2006, with occasional outbreaks continuing from then on. One of the most devestating and deadly outbreaks of disease in world history, the Azkali Plague directly caused the deaths of approximately 25 to 28 million people in Azkali - between 3 and a half to 4 percent of the global population at the time - more than half of the Azkali population, and several hundred thousand more in Azkali in the following 4 decades. The Azkali Plague first struck during the political turmoil following the coup d'etat and brief civil war of the Azkali State by Magu Kaizzanoudh in 1978, though at that time it only affected limited parts of the country, mostly in the northeast Hakainaki-ethnic majority parts of the country. The plague exploded in size in late 1979 and early 1980, particuarly among infantry of both fighting sides. The plague continued to spread among the population of Azkali, effectively decapitating both sides of the civil war's capacity to fight. By mid 1980, when Baphia invaded Azkali during the 1st Bapho-Azkali war, fighting had ceased as both sides attempted to combat the effects of the plague. Due to the lack of medicine and healthcare among the population, the plague spread nearly unchecked. Due to the shutdown of international traffic following the breakout of the civil war, aswell as the avaliability of semi-effective antibiotics abroad, the plague did not spread as much as it did in Azkali, though it was the cause of an outbreak in Alloti in 1981.

The Azkali Plague was notable for its disproportionate lethality and infectivity rate among Kalis, and the relative lack of danger for Humans and Kaneeds. This has been attributed to the differing responses of the Kali immune system in response to infection from the plague.

The Azkali Plague was the start of the 2nd Paradigm Shift within the population, culture, and art of Azkali - its reprocussions are still being felt across Azkali and world at large.

History

Prior Outbreaks

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1978 Outbreak

The bacteria responsible for the 1980 outbreak has been documented for several centuries, and had before the outbreak been somewhat common among the Kali and Human populations of Azkalis. Previous outbreaks (albeit much smaller in scale and damage) had been recorded all throughout Azkali history, the most recent one before the 1980 outbreak being in 1949. The pandemic began on the 28th of January, 1978, with the infection of 14 year old Maki Toihe Dhutzekavizon. Maki had returned from a trip in Northern Azkali, and soon after returning to his hometown of Harakoniaz, became ill with a new strain of the plague. This new strain was much more infectious and lethal, leading soon to the entire Dhutzekavizon family being infected with the plague. According to a doctor named Eriz Katinovi, who worked in the town hospital of Harakoniaz, the family entered and was subsequently admitted into the hospital, showing signs of a plague-like virus. Due to the hospital staff not following proper procedure, aswell as them not understanding the nature of the new variant, the plague soon quickly infected several patients among the hospital. This new variant soon spread outside of Harakoniaz, with the first case outside of Harakoniaz being recorded on the 3rd of February, 1978, in the town of Kotes, a suburb of Mezenasu.

The spread of plague alerted both sides of the civil war, though fighting continued on generally unabated. Due to this, the plague spread quickly in Azkali, with as many as 300,000 being infected with the plague by late 1978. The plague infected on average members of both side's army more than civilians.

By fall of 1978, the plague had spread across most of Eastern Azkali, and had caused atleast eight thousand deaths in Azkali by that time. Due to the efforts of several regional warlords and politicans, most notably Aki Mezenas Haidhamon, the infected were quarentined and given proper antibiotics and the dead safely buried. As a result, the effects of this outbreak were mitigated. Several hundred cases of the first plague were reported internationally - a hundred in Baphia, twenty in Sunteria, and 1 alleged, but unproven case in Loremesia.

1980 Pandemic

Origin

The origins of the 1980 Pandemic have been debated since its eradication. There are several theories as to its precise origin, though the theory with the most evidence substantiates a link between a carrier of the previous 1978 outbreak and the 1980 pandemic.

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Symptoms

The 1980 Pandemic disproportionately infected and killed Kalis. In Humans and Kaneeds, while still severe, the plague was far less severe. As such, the amount of humans and kaneeds killed by the plague can be numbered in the hundreds of thousands, instead of tens of millions (in Kalis).

The plague in both Kalis and other sapient species was generally immune to most anti-biotics, contributing massively to the death count.

Symptoms in Kalis

The symptoms of the 2nd outbreak somewhat matched the symptoms of previous outbreaks, being most similar to the 1978 outbreak. For Kalis, symptoms at initial infection included a high fever (101-103 more degrees fahrenheit), body chills, aches, and pain, nausea, coughing, and insomnia. As the infection continued to spread within the body, symptoms increased in severity; symptoms right before death included coma, inflammation of lymph nodes (buboes), hydrophobia (akin to rabies), and necrosis of flesh in bodily extremities (parts of the tail, fingers, toes, ears). At this point in the infection, almost all infected died. The most common cause of death at this stage of the infection was multiple organ failure - most commonly the heart - via hypercytokinemia, due to an overreaction in the immune system.

Symptoms in Humans and Kaneeds

While being different species, the symptoms in humans and kaneeds were generally very similar. Symptoms of humans included a fever (generally less severe than fevers in kalis, about 100-101 degrees), body chills, nausea, and coughing. In severe cases, coma and necrosis of bodily extremities were reported. However, most humans and kaneeds infected survived the infection, and thus became mostly immune to further infection.