Hi all,

I am looking for further information on VITAS I and II. Can someone give me a timeline on both VITAS pandemics?

If you have a copy of either the SR2 or SR3 core book its in there.

How detailed do you need? VITAS first hits in 2010, but takes a little while to spread around the whole world. The first time around it kills 25% of the world's populaiton - in some places more, in some places less. VITAS II hits in 2022, after Goblinization. The Lagos section in Feral Cities talks about them both, as does the Wiki.

As detailed as possible.

EDIT: who was patient zero? Where did the pandemic start from?

Oh dreck, not even the time to get out of the economical crisis that we get hit by a pandemic diseas with a mortality rate of the 25%?
I just hope it wipes out our (italian) political class in the process.

I think it originated in India. Not sure exactly where that reference is, but I'm pretty sure its in the canon somewhere.

Everything I've read says that the epidemics started first in major developing cities (New Deli first, then Mexico City, Peking, etc.) From there it spread mainly through the developing worlds (India to the orient and the middle east, Mexico to Central America and South America). Developed countries were not hit as hard as countries like India but in both waves over 1/4 of the world's population was wiped out. Humans and Elves were the hardest hit (maybe a reason why there are fewer elves then any other metatype). Dwarves and Trolls were the least effected (though they could still be carriers).

Where in canon does it state this?

Most of the info came from the Wiki so it isnt' cannon. Cannon only states (from SR2 and SR3 core books) that VITAS hit Mexico the hardest in North America (one of the things that caused the colapse of Mexico and the rise of Azland), and Inda the hardest in Asia.

There are some statistics in Runner Companion (but like any statistic in Shadowrun there's always the problem of the SINless), but it's stated that elves are the tird most common metatype, after humans (most common) and orks (second most common).

I'm sorry I thought you were talking about VITAS not elves in general. Look in all the Shadows books (SoNA, SoE, SoA), elves are make up the smallest population group around the world (with the exception of the elven nations).

True, I remember that elves had always very low percentages, yet RC states that they are the tird most common metatype.

Maybe the elven nations bump this up alot?

That would be my take on it. Elves may not be quite so common in the standard sprawl, but taking the two Tirs, Pomoyra (sp?), and the scattered elven enclaves, it probably bumps the global ratio up quite a bit.

i think at least the american tir had a open door policy for imigrant elves in the begining...

So I have to go in SR2 and SR3 for more information?

No other sources of information except for some vagueness?

Yeah, it's all pretty vague, purposefully so I'd imagine. Patient zero, how it originated, the toxicology, etc. etc. have never been thoroughly detailed in any way. The Indian subcontinent entry in Shadows of Asia has a good bit on how the staggering loss of life from VITAS affected their view of the world and reshaped their priorities as a nation.

In summary, it was a deadly sickness that hit in two waves (2010 and 2022), it decimated areas where there was inadequate healthcare and there were rumors of a VITAS III (per one of the Threats books) that never emerged. However you want to approach VITAS is as legit of a view as anyone's.

i think one of the sota books could be hinting that at least one corp lab was toying with weaponizing vitas...

Good then. I can then plan all sorts of things (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

*evil cackle*

-Chrysalis

ah, no. my memory was corrupted by time, sadly.

it was sota63, and the topic was ebola, not vitas...

still, if someone is toying with a upgraded version of ebola in a lab, why not vitas?

Ebola is minor. Try the Spanish flu.

im tempted to say that the only diff between them is that one was able to spread, the other so far have not...

If I was creating a bio weapon I don't think I would want it to spread too fast as it may spread back to me.

heh, may have a good point there. another may be the time between infection and death. to fast, and it will not spread, to slow and it becomes less useful as a weapon...

I think the best bio weapon would be one that is tailored to not mutate easily, spreads fairly quickly, has a low mortality rate but high incapacitate rate (lots of sick people that can't do anything), and takes effect as soon as possible.