Omega IV Virus

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A victim of the Omega IV virus

The Omega IV virus was created on the planet Omega IV, and was a result of a biological war conducted some hundreds of years before the 23rd century.


Eventually, the virus inhabited every aspect of Omega IV's biosphere. Over time, nature built up natural immunizing agents in the food, water, and soil to counterbalanced it, causing the indigenous population of Yangs and Kohms to be naturally immune. The virus itself affects a humanoid body at the molecular level, separating water molecules from other organic compounds until there is nothing of the body left but dehydrated white crystals within whatever clothing the patient had on. This is referred to as "uremic frost".


Symptoms:

  • Thirst
  • Fever
  • Concentrated urine
  • Sudden weight loss
  • Poor skin elasticity
  • Sunken eyes
  • Increased pulse with decreased cardiac output
  • Renal failure


This virus was discovered by the Federation in 2268, when the USS Exeter began a survey of the planet. The Exeter's Captain was curious regarding the population's long life spans, and beamed down with a landing party (away team) to personally investigate.
When they returned to the ship, however, the entire Federation crew became infected, and shortly were dead or dying. Another ship, the USS Enterprise, investigated the Exeter's sudden drop in communications, finding what was left of the crew.
The only clue as to what happened were the Chief Medical Officer's logs, detailing the illness and events leading up to it.


Dr. Leonard McCoy, through medical research and review of the Exeter's files, found that brief exposure to the planet's atmosphere would give a humanoid immunity to the virus: the Exeter crew simply wasn't on the planet's surface for a long enough amount of time.


In the end, the indigenous population's immunity to the virus had nothing to do with their long life spans; they simply had the genetics for long lives.