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From Lostpedia

The Sickness is an unknown illness that is believed to be on the Island.

Facts

Rousseau explains about her early time on the Island

Danielle Rousseau indicates that the members of her crew got sick after their first visit to the Black Rock in the Dark Territory and claims that the Others are the carriers. But in her story, she specifically says that she never saw any Others, or for that matter any people at all at that time. She seemed to consider the whispers in the jungle initially to be the Others. She also indicates that the sickness hit the expedition crew two months after arriving to the Island. Rousseau killed all of her crew because they were 'sick', and justifies her actions by saying, "What would have happened if we were rescued? I couldn't let that happen." She never describes the nature of the sickness and in her advice to Sayid she only says that he should watch the other survivors closely. This would seem to suggest that the symptoms of the sickness are not necessarily obvious, at least at first. It may also cause mental symptoms rather than physical ones. An official podcast said it made people "go crazy".

The word quarantine on the Hatch door

At the Swan Station of the DHARMA Initiative, the exits of the station were marked with the word "QUARANTINE" ("Exodus, Part 2"). The crew of the station was provided with HAZMAT suits for use in the event that they went outside the station. They were also provided with an injectable compound which they were instructed to take every nine days. The orientation film from 1980 does not mention a quarantine, the sickness, or any special procedures. This would seem to indicate that the quarantine procedures were initiated after 1980. What little Desmond knew of the sickness he learned from Kelvin.

At the Arrow Station of the DHARMA Initiative, the word "QUARANTINE" was found crudely written on the inside of the door. Oddly enough, however, the word was not seen at the Staff, which was medical facility.

The vial from the Swan

When Ben Linus was disguised as Henry Gale, he explained that his wife got sick after one week on the Island ("One of Them"). This is likely to be a reference to the Sickness (although he lied about many things). Ben also describes the symptoms of the sickness as a fever, followed by delirium, then death.

When she was abducted by Ethan, Claire was given injections of CR 4-81516-23 42 into her uterus. This may have a connection to the sickness, since the substance CR 4-81516-23 42 was claimed to be a vaccine. It is also worth noting that Desmond injected this same vaccine into himself every nine days for three years to prevent himself from contracting the illness, although later he tells Claire that he thinks the injections were useless. Aaron contracts an illness that, although Claire is concerned that it might be the sickness Rousseau's crew contracted, clears up in a couple of days.

Juliet later tells Jack that the injections were a serum she had developed, which Ethan administered to Claire to prevent her from dying. Juliet attributed Claire's mysterious illness to withdrawal from the serum. However, in flashbacks within the same episode, Ben attributed the illness to an activated implant. Charlie brings Claire a case full of vaccine for her and the baby to take, so her illness could not be contingent upon a lack of this same medicine. Later, upon Desmond's return to the island, he notices this medicine and makes a joke about how he used to believe that there was a sickness.

Some of the crew of the Kahana had been dealing with "what might best be described as a heightened case of cabin fever." Captain Gault supposed it had something to do with the close proximity of the island. He didn't interfere with Regina's suicide, because he didn't want any more people to get afflicted. ("Ji Yeon"). He suspected that Keamy was infected as well. ("Cabin Fever").

People who believe in "The Sickness"

Claire suspected that Aaron might have the sickness in "Maternity Leave"

Almost everyone who has been treated for the sickness seems to have a strong faith in it. Rousseau believes it in an almost paranoid fashion. Claire also believes its claims, and later accepts a DHARMA vaccine kit from Charlie in the episode "Three Minutes". Desmond doesn't seem to doubt its existence when he encounters Jack and Locke in "Man of Science, Man of Faith", though later shows skepticism after having used it for over three years.

Following the season two finale, things are not so clear: There are numerous instances throughout the series which strongly support the existence of the sickness. When Desmond is washed up on the beach in a flashback, Kelvin wears a HAZMAT suit when bringing him back to the Hatch, implying that he is trying to protect himself from some sort of infection. Kelvin also initiates Desmond into the process of injecting the vaccine every nine days.

There are also many facts contradicting the existence of the sickness. Desmond notices a rip in Kelvin's suit in one of his expeditions outside which prompts him to follow his partner outside. Kelvin removes his respiratory equipment and HAZMAT suit in an "unsafe area" without any hesitation as soon as he's no longer near the Swan. If there had ever been the threat of an infection, the suit could not have been worn and stored in the living area. There would need to be a safer storage area, perhaps even with a means to disinfect it.

Kelvin in a HAZMAT suit

Desmond tells Claire that she's wasting her time giving Aaron shots, which seems to be indicating that the vaccine does nothing. This may mean that the Sickness does not affect babies.

Or another theory would be that Desmond has lost belief in the sickness because of Kelvin's actions, Kelvin seems to have lost the will to live and could have been willing to take the risk explaining why he wears the HAZMAT suit when Desmond arrives but not on the day he dies.

From The Lost Experience

Letter from the GWC to the Hanso Foundation

• The Global Welfare Consortium accuses the Hanso Foundation of spreading a transgenic/mutated strain of meningococcal disease from their primate research facility in Zanzibar to the local African human population.
• Dr. Eliza Vasquez has found something unusual in Alvar Hanso's blood work which could seriously impact his health.
• Apollo Candy contains something that aids in viral spread, and disguises this through its acidic ingredients. According to Dr. Hackett, this is related to drug reformulation trials of Project Sumo.
• Villagers of Filan (?) and Vetul-Milani (?) believe they have been infected by a virus transferred from macaques. The Hanso Foundation recruits in the Sri Lanka Video are told they will give them a vaccine.

Medical incongruities

• Meningococcal disease is an infection of the cerebrospinal fluid by either bacteria or a virus. Meningitis is the broader term for the disease caused by multiple pathogens.
• True vaccines are technically primary prevention, not given after exposure to a pathogen. Rabies post-exposure prophylaxis is commonly given to humans after exposure (rabies vaccine is given prior).

Meningococcal disease

~Treatment and Vaccines for Bacterial Meningitis~ Bacterial meningitis is cause by Staphylococcus aureus, Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae, and has similar symptoms of onset as Ben described.

Meningococcal disease is treated by cephlasporins or vancomycins in the United States. Both of these medications must be given in IV form to cross the blood brain barrier and into the Central Nervous System Fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Which drug is given depends on the type of bacteria, as well as the substrain of bacteria.

HOWEVER, certain forms of bacterial meningitis can be prevented by VACCINE, but cannot be treated by such vaccine.

• Haemophilus influenzae meningitis can be prevented by receiving the Hib Vaccine, especially in early childhood.

• Neisseria meningitidis is the most common form of meningococcal disease. There is also now a vaccine covering four strains of the Neisseria meningitidis bacteria, thus also highly decreasing and preventing that form of bacterial meningitis. For the B strain, which is much harder to produce for use in vaccine, there are a few available being MeNZB in New Zealand and MenBVAC in Norway.

• In the US, this vaccine is marketed with the trade names: Menactra and Menommune, produced by the Sanofi Pasteur, Inc. in Swiftwater, PA (Physicians' Desk Reference, 2007). There is a common misconception with Menommune, which may explain the multiple doses. Menommune has been shown to only provide a passive protection in most cases against meningococci. Some immunologists and physicians believed multiple vaccination to solve this problem, by amping up the amount of memory based T-cell antibodies to fight off the infection. However, multiple vaccinations has a somewhat opposite effect, causing a further dented but not completely gone passive protection. Menactra is made by the same company that produced menommune, and has been improved with greater coverage. Menactra can be given to pregnant women. Typically in the US, college students receive a vaccination for this type of bacteria, colloquially known as the "meningitis vaccine".

• Streptococcus pneumoniae also has a vaccine available, typically for those 65 and older in the US as well as brand new babies, but also is showing signs of preventing strep pneumoniae meningitis. It is called Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine or the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (Physicians' Desk Reference, 2007).

• More information on these vaccines for meningococal disease can be found at The Center for Disease Control.

Jigsaw puzzle

One of the Lost jigsaw puzzles contained a book code cipher on its back. Lostpedia translated the code using a copy of The Turn of the Screw, revealing, among other sentences, the statement "there is no sickness." However, according to Gregg Nations, Kelvin and Radzinsky wrote these messages, and it is their interpretation of the island's mysteries.

Unanswered questions

For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: The Sickness/Theories

• What was the nature of the Sickness?
  • Is the Sickness related to the variable time differential surrounding the Island?
• Is the Sickness natural or artificial in origin?
• Are the fertility-problems of the women on the Island caused by the Sickness?
• Why hasn't anyone on the Island seen so far been affected by the Sickness?