Power: Rhinovirus is the causative agent for about half of common colds, especially in the fall season. Incidence is highest in children under 5 and generally declines with increasing age. Rhinovirus normally requires close contact to spread because it is limited by its short survival time in the external environment. Rhinovirus does not cause a life-threatening disease, but it has more than 100 serotypes (HRV-39 being one of them) that are not cross-protective. Therefore, humans are subject to many Rhinovirus colds in their lifetime.

Offenses
• Attacks: Rhinovirus spread by aerosols released in coughing and sneezing or contaminated mucus in direct and indirect person-to-person contact. Virus gets in through nose, mouth, or eyes.
• Outcome: Viral infection and replication in the upper respiratory tract results in rhinitis, inflammation of nasal mucous membrane. Symptoms include runny nose, coughing, sneezing, chilliness, lacrimation, and malaise. Fever is rare in humans over 3 years of age. Rhinovirus may be accompanied by laryngitis, tracheitis, or bronchitis.
• Speed: Incubation is 12 hours to 5 days. Symptoms last 2-3 days.
Defenses
• Vaccines: None.
• Behavioral: Public education, especially in personal hygiene, can help prevent illness. Avoiding smoking and avoiding crowding in living and sleeping quarters are also good preventative behaviors.
• Treatment: Over-the-counter medicine can alleviate specific cold symptoms but do not shorten the duration of a cold. Drinking plenty of fluids and rest are most important for recovery.

Game Action: You must sneeze on all other players.
The virus that keeps going and going and going. . .

La Crosse virus
Bunyaviridae

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ICTVdb/ICTVdB/00.011.htm

Power: La Crosse virus, the best known of the California encephalitis group, occurs in the U.S. and is concentrated mainly in the Midwest (first identified as causative agent of encephalitis in La Crosse, Wisconsin). Virus infects the most during the spring and summer and primarily children. Mortality is low at 0.3%, but 10% of patients suffer neurological sequelae. Children under 15 years are at greatest risk and may develop seizures.

Offenses
• Attacks: A true arbovirus, La Crosse is mosquito-borne and not transmitted person-to-person. Transmission occurs by Aedes triseriatis, which breeds in tree holes and abandoned tires filled with rainwater.
• Outcome: La Crosse virus causes encephalitis. Most infections are asymptomatic. Mild cases often occur as febrile headache or aseptic meningitis. Severe infections consist of an acute onset, headache, high fever, meningeal signs, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, occasional convulsions especially in infants, and spastic (rarely flaccid) paralysis.
• Speed: Incubation period is usually 5-15 days. Mild disease has short duration.
Defenses
• Vaccines: No vaccine.
• Behavioral: Control of mosquito vector, such as old tires, is an important defense against La Crosse virus. Public education about avoiding vectors can also prevent disease.
• Treatment: Supportive care (rest, nutrition, fluids) allows body to fight infection. Medications such as acetaminophen may be used for fever and headache. Sedatives, anti-seizure medications, and anti-inflammatory drugs may be needed.

Game Action: You must buy new tires for all other players.
Mischief from Midwest

Oropouche virus
Bunyaviridae

http://web.telia.com/~u87302689/bunyavirus_en.html

Power: Oropouche virus disease is found in Latin America, especially Trinidad, Panama, Peru, and Brazil. Occurrence is primarily rural, but virus has been involved in explosive urban and suburban outbreaks. Epidemics may involve thousands of people, and susceptibles in highly endemic areas are mainly young children. Seasonal incidence depends on vector density.

Offenses
• Attacks: Oropouche is an arbovirus and is not transmitted person-to-person. Transmission occurs by the midge, Culicoides paraensis. Virus may also be maintained in the continuous vertebrate mosquito cycle in a tropical environment.
• Outcome: Oropouche virus causes febrile illness and meningitis. Initial symptoms include fever, headache, malaise, arthralgia, myalgia, stiff neck, and occasionally nausea and vomiting. Generally, there is also some conjunctivitis and photophobia. An occasional complication is meningoencephalitis.
• Speed: Incubation period is 3-12 days. Mild disease usually lasts less than a week.

Defenses
• Vaccines: No vaccine.
• Behavioral: Vector control is a preventative strategy is an important defense against Oropouche virus.
• Treatment: Supportive care (rest, nutrition, fluids) allows body to fight infection. Medications such as acetaminophen may be used for fever and headache. Sedatives, anti-seizure medications, anti-inflammatory drugs, and intravenous fluids may be needed.

Game Action: You must buy plane tickets to Brazil for all other players.
Oro- what?