Disease
Note: This article is about treatable illnesses. For physical damage, see Injury. For other health conditions, see Ailments.
Colonists sometimes contract diseases. These can occur through random events that vary by biome and difficulty (except for infections, which have a random chance of developing from an injury).
Treatment
At regular intervals, a resting colonist can be treated by a doctor. This slows the progression of symptoms, and for most diseases it is very important to treat the colonist as often as possible. You cannot give a new treatment until the last one has expired, and you can see the remaining time by hovering over the disease in the colonist's health tab. The treatment interval varies for each disease.
Treatment Quality is determined by a variety of factors, including the doctor's skill and the quality of medicine used.
Immunity: Colonists will gradually develop immunity to some diseases, such as infections or plague. When immunity reaches 100%, the symptoms will not immediately disappear, but the colonist is safe and no longer needs any treatment. If the disease symptoms progress past "extreme" before immunity reaches 100%, the colonist will die. Immunity Gain Speed is affected by the colonist's food, rest, bed quality, age, and blood filtration.
Blood Filtration is a major factor in getting better from diseases. Poor blood filtration may result in sicknesses developing more than they would usually. Older colonists are more susceptible to sickness than younger ones. Colonists with only one kidney have their blood filtration reduced by 50%.
Diseases
Most diseases have the following:
- General Symptoms - initial symptoms that develop in the first few days of being sick.
- Advanced Symptoms - symptoms that set in when the disease progresses for any reason (eg. being untreated or gets worse).
- Treatment - some illnesses are treatable with medicine, but not all diseases are treatable.
Flu
General Symptoms:
- Impaired consciousness
- Impaired manipulation
- Impaired breathing
Advanced Symptoms:[1]
- Loss of consciousness
Treatment:
- Treated with medicine
- Treatment duration: 30,000 ticks (8.33 mins)
Plague
General Symptoms:
- Impaired consciousness
- Impaired manipulation
Advanced Symptoms:[1]
- Impaired consciousness
- Impaired manipulation
- Impaired breathing
- Loss of consciousness
Treatment:
- Treated with medicine
- Treatment duration: 30,000 ticks (8.33 mins)
Malaria
Easier to contract in the jungle.
General Symptoms:
- Impaired consciousness
- Impaired blood filtration
Advanced Symptoms:[1]
- Impaired consciousness
- Loss of consciousness
Treatment:
- Treated with medicine
- Treatment duration: 30,000 ticks (8.33 mins)
Infection
Untreated wounds may get infected, causing a colonist to be mildly sick for a while. However, untreated infections can be fatal.
General Symptoms:
- Pain
Advanced Symptoms:[1]
- Impaired consciousness
- Impaired breathing
- Unconsciousness
Treatment:
- Treated with medicine
- Treatment duration: 30,000 ticks (8.33 mins)
- Can also be treated by amputating the affected body part
Sleeping Sickness
A parasitic disease carried by insects in the jungle biome.
It's notable that sleeping sickness takes a very long time to recover from.
General Symptoms:
- Impaired consciousness
- Impaired manipulation
Advanced Symptoms:[1]
- Loss of consciousness
Treatment:
- Treated with medicine
- Treatment duration: 80,000 ticks (22.22 mins)
Gut Worms
A parasitic disease which doubles that rate at which colonists become hungry.
Can be contracted in the following biomes: arid shrubland, desert, extreme desert, boreal forest, tundra, temperate forest, and tropical rainforest.
General Symptoms:
- Increaser hunger rate (200% of base)
- Increased vomit rate (to average once per day)
Advanced Symptoms:[1]
- None
Treatment:
- Treated with medicine
- Treatment duration: 120,000 ticks (33.33 mins)
- Treatment count: 5
Muscle Parasites
A parasitic disease hampering the muscles.
General Symptoms:
- Impaired manipulation (-30%)
- Impaired movement speed (-30%)
Advanced Symptoms:[1]
- None
Treatment:
- Treated with medicine
- Treatment duration: 120,000 ticks (33.33 mins)
- Treatment count: 5
Fibrous Mechanites
A Mechanoid disease which brings mild pain in early stages but boosts several attributes.
General Symptoms:
- Tiredness (*170%)
- Mild pain (+0.2)
- Improved manipulation (+50%)
- Improved movement speed (+50%)
- Improved blood pumping (+50%)
Advanced Symptoms:[1]
- Intense pain (+0.6)
- No additional stat boosts over early stages
Treatment:
- Treated with or without medicine, though medicine speeds up recovery
- Treatment duration: 120,000 ticks (33.33 mins)
- Can disappear without treatment as early as 900,000 ticks (250 mins)
- Can last without treatment as long as 1,800,000 ticks (500 mins)
Sensory Mechanites
A Mechanoid disease which brings mild pain in early stages but boosts sensory perception.
General Symptoms:
- Mild pain (+0.2)
- Improved sight (+50%)
- Improved hearing (+50%)
- Improved talking (+50%)
- Improved manipulation (+30%)
Advanced Symptoms:[1]
- Intense pain (+0.6)
- No additional stat boosts over early stages
Treatment:
- Treated with or without medicine, though medicine speeds up recovery
- Treatment duration: 120,000 ticks (33.33 mins)
- Can disappear without treatment as early as 900,000 ticks (250 mins)
- Can last without treatment as long as 1,800,000 ticks (500 mins)
Disease Frequency
| Difficulty | Disease interval multiplier |
|---|---|
| Free Play | 3 |
| Basebuilder | 1.5 |
| Rough | 1.0 |
| Challenge | 1.0 |
| Extreme | 0.9 |