[swliner]

What exactly was the VITAS plague?  I'm guessing by the name that it sent you into Anaphylactic shock and killed you, but what were the actual symptoms?  How was it spread? Why isn't it around anymore? I'm kinda new to the setting, so I wouldn't even know where to start looking to answer these kinds of questions.  Thanks.

[bigity]

I know at least one book in the older editions listed it with the diseases/poisons, but I don't recall much more information than like a paragraph.

[ChaoticWeevil]

VITAS stands for Virally Induced Toxic Allergy Syndrome. It killed billions of people (a nice way to handle overpopulation questions if you ask me) in two outbreaks in 2010 and again in 2022.

Here is a fact grab:The first cases of VITAS were reported in India in 2010 and by the end of the year the disease had killed a quarter of the world's population. VITAS brought with it corresponding levels of panic and desperation, with healthy people resorting to drastic means to stay that way; entire sections of Mexico City were burned as a "safety precaution," in one of the most extreme cases.

The second outbreak in 2022 killed another ten percent of the population. The disease temporarily halted race riots and other violence brought about by conflicts among humans and metahumans.

A para-VITAS outbreak in 2046, believed to be the work of unidentified eco-terrorists, killed 120,000 in Tynesprawl, England.

[CanRay]

VITAS-III is the boogeyman that the media/corps pull out whenever they need to hide something.

IIRC, they used a version of that for Chicago.  Of course, look how that turned out.

[Medicineman]

What exactly was the VITAS plague?
Its also one (of many) Plothooks

with one (of many) Dances
Medicineman

[swliner]

So there's really no information on it other than 'It was really nasty, trust us, you definitely don't want it, boogey boogey boogey'?

[CanRay]

It's the modern (To Shadowrun) equivalent of the Black Plague.

Honestly, what more do you want?

[hobgoblin]

As the name suggests, it was likely a virus that caused people to become so allergic to some substance (likely different for each person, given the syndrome bit) or other (say some kind of common plastic or such) that would then result in the body poisoning itself trying to remove a enemy that was not present.

The virus was likely airborne, and had a reasonably long delay between infections and symptoms so that the person could spread it on before starting to feel ill and such.

As to its origins, many speculations have been put forward. But like the Nightwraith strike and the crash worm, none have stepped forward with any solid proof. Oh, and i think one of the SR3 SOTA books had a bit where a corp R&D leak suggested at least one corp was working on a more potent and weaponized form. The shadowtalk can be summed up as "Are they insane?!".

[Stahlseele]

Well, make it a two component thingie where you can spread one component by air and administrate the other component on a "as needed" basis . . and you have an incredibly effective terror weapon. Something that nobody can trace to you, most likely.
Basically, what they did in the LONE WOLF Novel.

[ChaoticWeevil]

What exactly was the VITAS plague?
Its also one (of many) Plothooks

with one (of many) Dances
Medicineman

Here you go, this is a translation from Polish so forgive the bad grammar:

VITAS begins to be visible 12 hours after infection. After incubation, the first symptoms are fever, chills and vomiting. If not halted, VITAS lead to anaphylactic shock, which is associated with an increase in the level of histamine on what your body reacts into anaphylactic shock anafiprogress, with an Increase in histamine levels and vasodilation Causing bronchospasms. Most deaths occure from bronchoconstriction, Leading to suffication.

[Fizzygoo]

I believe VITAS (non-military version/"natural" version (if the first outbreaks were indeed natural, of course)) still exists and can still be caught (Devilrats spread it, don't they, or at least have chance for infecting). But correct me if I'm wrong (may be confusing VITAS with MHVV)

Of course I'm at work, so NBOH (No Books On Hand).

[Stahlseele]

In SR3 Rules, one in 12 Devil Rats carried VITAS3.

[farothel]

the way I see it, VITAS looks like a retrovirus targeting the basophils of your immune system, just like HIV targets CD4+ and CD8+ T-Cells.  This probably causes these cells to release loads of histamines.  Since one of the function of these histamines is to open up the capilary blood vessels so white blood cells can go out of the blood vessels to attack pathogens at other locations, a massive release of histamines would cause severe internal bleeding, leading to anaphylactic shock and eventual death.

Tetracycline (the miracle cure, which BTW is an antibiotic in RL and therefore useles against virusses) will probably function by inhibiting the function of the histamines, giving the immune system some time to fight back.

I've really studied way too much of this crap at university. 

[Fizzygoo]

+1 rep for Science!

"I have taken all knowledge to be my province."
Sir Francis Bacon (quote used in earlier SR books)

So, then, Tetracycline would help combat an effect of VITAS, the function of the histamines, but would in no way kill/harm the virus within the person? As in anaphylactic shock would be suppressed, possibly even to the point of being able to function normally, but the virus would still be attempting to do its thing with in the person's body?

[Dead Monky]

And I shall double that +1.