Plague of Nehikuma

The Plague of Nehikuma ( Bar. Ranhia Nehikumima, Neimi Akoten Nehikumal) was an epidemic of still debated origins that ravaged the southeast of the South Continent of the IDU in the early 18th century, particularly Nehikuma and its dependencies, hence its name. It considerably weakened Nehikuma and is at least partially responsible for the swift conquest of Nehikuma by Baranxtu; it is also seen as one of many causes for the disruptive Marani Civil Wars.

Although today largely forgotten, the Plague of Nehikuma was one of the worst medical disasters in recent history, killing more than 10 million people or one third of the population of Nehikuma, being only surpassed both in total number of fatalaties and mortality rate by the Great Plague of Baranxtu one century later.

Pattern of the Outbreak

Original Outbreak 1722-1725

In early October of 1722, Baranxtiman census official Anhargi Semotli noted that when he came to the trade center of Sirmhan on the southern modern day border of Bari Nazer and Naïē, that most of the town had fell sick, suffering from an "itchy" disease.

About three weeks later, the disease surfaced on Nehikuman territory in the town of Arikamao, which had known trade contacts with Sirmhan. From there, it quickly spread through the northern empire. This fell into the early stages of the First Marani Civil War, and further exacerbated the situations. Many people in Nehikuma were already malnourished and weakened after war-related shortages of food had been experienced, probably making them even more susceptible to the disease.

By March 1723, the disease had spread throughout most of the northern Nehikuman empire, and minor outbreaks had been noted in most of Baranxtu. By then, the lethality rate among Nehikumans is estimated to have been between 50% and 65%, the mortality rate was about 25%. Among Baranxtimans, however, the lethality rate was much lower (about 10%), as was the mortality rate (about 5%).

Then, during spring, the spread of the disease accelerated, and withing two months, it had been noted even in remote regions of Abasina, the mountains of Dorista and as far south as Halaora. Only Otea, which had started a very strict, very rigid quarantine and isolation policy, was largely spared of the disease, safe for one severe outbreak in the village of Kintakea, which was subsequently walled off until three months after the last sick person had died; of 342 people in Kintakea, only 14 survived.

The epidemic had largely subsided in the north by fall of 1723, but resurfaced the following spring, but this time in a milder form.

The last outbreak was recorded in spring of 1725 in Amanke, a town in Qiru.

Later Recurrences

After the first severe outbreak, this disease did not resurface in such a severe form, at least not epidemically. Minor subsequent outbreaks became more and more rare, and as mysteriously as it had appeared, it had also vanished by the beginning of the 19th century.

Causes

The exact cause of the Plague of Nehikuma is still debated, though most scientists agree that it was a disease of Baranxtiman origin; namely a disease that had been endemic among Baranxtimans (and Asuanituans) for centuries, and who therefore had built up an inherited resistance over the course of time, making them less susceptible to the disease.

This is backed up by the fact that most contemporary sources stated that few Baranxtimans fell sick, and with most of them, the disease took a much more gentler course, whereas it wreaked havoc among non-Baranxtimans and non-Asuanituans.

Some, however, dispute this claim, citing that the disease apparently vanished which would be unlikely if it were truly an endemic disease among Baranxtimans.

So far, tests on exhumed corpes of victims of the disease have only delivered inconclusive results.