Mellorak sickness (or infection) is a disease that affects the kidneys and then the immune and respiratory systems. It is a fast acting disease that will kill within five to seven days of infection. The only known cure is the drug bittamucin which is only effective if administered within the first two days of infection. Symptoms include coughing, lethargy, and a clammy complexion. Mellorak is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact as well as by bodily fluids.
Due to the moderate ease of transmission, the short window to treat, and the high mortality rate, Mellorak is considered a very serious disease. Due to the requirement for a specialized counter-agent, bittamucin, which is in limited supply, the response to a Mellorak outbreak is immediate quarantine of anyone suspected of potential infection.
Mellorak in the Fleet[]
There was a minor Mellorak infection aboard the Athena's Light when it joined the Hyperion's Fleet on March 26th. A shuttle carrying sick and wounded persons made an emergency flight to Hyperion for aid. The vessel was initially feared as potentially hostile. After clearing it from threats that it might have been booby trapped by Cylon agents, it was discovered that some of the occupants were sick and dying of Mellorak. The occupants of the shuttle as well as the marine team investigating were all put into immediate quarantine.
Likewise, the entire Athena's Light fleet was also put into quarantine until the situation could be resolved. This prevented immediate integration into the Fleet and also stopped the investigation of a potential radiological signal coming from the Phoenix.