List of fictional diseases

List of Fictional Diseases

This article provides an overview of various fictional diseases that have appeared in different forms of media, including books, films, television series, and video games. These diseases often serve as plot devices or background elements to enrich the narrative. Note that this list is not exhaustive and may be expanded over time.

Overview

Fictional diseases are created by writers and creators to add depth to their narratives, often serving as a metaphor for real-world issues or to heighten the drama within the story. These diseases can range from realistic conditions that mimic real pathogens to fantastical plagues with supernatural origins. They are used in various genres, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, and post-apocalyptic fiction.

List of Fictional Diseases

Andromeda Strain

Featured in the novel The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton, this disease is caused by an extraterrestrial microorganism that clots human blood, leading to rapid death.

Captain Trips

A deadly superflu from Stephen King's novel The Stand. Officially known as Project Blue, it wipes out most of the human population.

Cooties

A fictional disease often mentioned in children's culture. It is typically described as a kind of lice or germ that girls are said to spread to boys, or vice versa.

Descolada

From Orson Scott Card's Speaker for the Dead, part of the Ender's Game series, Descolada is a virus that can unravel and rewrite the genetic code of its host, making it extremely deadly to humans but essential to the life cycle of the native species on the planet Lusitania.

Ice-Nine

Though not a disease in the traditional sense, Ice-Nine is a dangerous substance from Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle. It has the ability to freeze any liquid water it comes into contact with, posing a global threat.

Motaba Virus

A fictional hemorrhagic fever from the movie Outbreak, similar to Ebola. It is highly contagious and lethal, leading to a desperate race to find a cure.

Necroa Virus

From the video game Plague Inc., the Necroa Virus is a pathogen that reanimates its dead hosts, essentially creating zombies.

Phage

In the Star Trek universe, specifically within the Voyager series, the Phage is a disease that consumes the body's organs, leading to a painful death unless treated with constant organ transplants.

White Plague

A genetically engineered disease from Frank Herbert's novel The White Plague. It selectively kills women, leading to societal collapse.

See Also

• Pandemic
• Epidemiology
• Biological warfare
• Zombie apocalypse

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