Hey everybody and welcome to Leia’s Lair.
In today’s episode I will be going over a virus that existed in the Star Wars universe.
Now although Star Wars is thought of to be a battle between good and evil, Jedi and Sith,
it is usually overlooked that there could be other problems existing in the universe.
With so many different species, planets, and creatures, it is not unreasonable to think
that there may be some pretty strange illnesses or diseases that come about and spread throughout
the galaxy.
One of these is called the Krytos Virus.
This was actually a genetically engineered bioweapon designed by the Galactic Empire
in 7 ABY that caused the death of millions.
Once it infected a host, the virus would destroy the infected host body cell by cell until
the victim’s flesh fell apart completely, resulting in an agonizing and excruciating
death.
To top it off, the Krytos Virus was highly contagious and designed to target only non-Human
populations and be treated by large amounts of bacta.
The virus was transmitted by physical contact or through a water supply, but could not be
spread by airborne transmission.
The virus would typically have a twelve-day incubation period, where the individual would
become infected but would not have any symptoms.
After this, it would enter a one-week, seven stage process in which it replicated itself
in the host body.
Once a cell was filled with the virus, that cell soon exploded and the cell next to it
would become infected.
The circulatory system carried the virus throughout the body cell by cell.
The virus would not destroy pain receptors, so the process was very painful for the victim,
especially during the final stages.
There were seven stages, one for each day of the disease.
The subject, in stage one, would start off feeling only slightly ill, not unlike a case
of the common cold, but otherwise appeared and felt relatively normal.
During the second stage, the subject would begin to feel more fatigued and placid, and
increasingly appeared to be in a stupor, with glassy eyes fixed on a specific point.
Next, in the third stage, the subject’s skin began to show signs of splotches.
By the fourth stage, black spots started radiating on the subject’s skin, including the tongue
and feet, with an appearance resembling a spider-web of lines that connected the spots
to one another.
The subject typically avoided putting pressure on the spots in an effort to reduce the pain
from them.
They would also experience dryness of the mouth and a lack of mucus or saliva.
In the fifth stage, skin would start to crack, and by the sixth stage, the pain continued
to grow and dementia kicked in.
In the seventh stage, or day seven, would result in the subject’s death.
Although the general process was similar, elements would vary from species to species.
The list of species susceptible to the Krytos virus included, but was not limited to, Quarren,
Mon Calamari, Gamorreans, Duros, Twi’leks, Wookiees, Trandoshans, Shistavanens, Eloms,
Gotals, and the Baragwin.
Only a handful of alien races were immune to it, most notably Bothans.
A subject could become infected by the Krytos virus through contact with infected bodily
fluids.
One milliliter, or 0.03 ounces, would be enough to infect an adult.
If ingested, there would be an almost 100 percent infection rate.
If the virus only touched the skin, the infection rate dropped to 20 percent.
The virus was viable for typically 36 hours outside of a host, and could survive longer
in warm and moist weather conditions.
The virus was not transmissible by air, because the same genetics that would have allowed
this, would have also facilitated a spontaneous mutation that could have made the virus affect
Humans.
The Krytos virus could be treated and cured with bacta, the synthetic chemical substance
used to treat almost every type of injury and ailment known in the galaxy.
However, vast quantities of the medicine was needed to cure the virus, and the more severe
the case, the more was needed.
During later stages of the virus, some organs would become so damaged that they would require
cybernetic replacements, even despite extensive bacta treatment.
Bacta therapy prior to infection provided no deterrent to the virus.
However, Ryll, a weak spice from the planet Ryloth, could be combined with bacta to increase
the medicine’s efficiency.
I don’t know about you, but I think I’d rather encounter a Wampa than live in a galaxy
with Krytos virus.
And there you have it!
Thanks for watching everyone.
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