Diseases and Conditions
This is an overview of diseases, illnesses, and medical conditions found in Star Trek. Part of the information has been taken from Memory Alpha though not all the information is from them. The full list of conditions on Memory Alpha can be found here.
There are a great many diseases and conditions found in the Star Trek universe and though some of them are race-specific, some of them affect numerous peoples. Below you will find a list of conditions that is categorized by race with a general category at the bottom for diseases that are able to affect multiple species.
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Aenar
Andorian Shingles affects Aenar as well as Andorians simply because of their similar physiologies. Among the symptoms are bleeding from the eyeballs and tongue. The exoskeleton becomes brittle and begins to fall off, creating sores.
Andorian
Andorian Shingles affects Andorians by causing the eyeballs and tongue to bleed. The exoskeleton begins to be brittle and fall off, creating sores.
Bajoran
Kalla-Nohra Syndrome is a terminal illness caused by a mining accident at the Gallitep labor camp. Symptoms include weakness, shortness of breath, coughing, and sneezing and, in the final stages, loss of bone density. It can also affect Cardassians.
Orkett’s Disease is a viral disease of the blood that affects Bajorans who live in unclean living conditions. It is usually fatal unless a suitable bone marrow transplant took place, usually with a Bajoran, though it was possible for another race to donate marrow.
Pottrik Syndrome is an illness whose symptoms are similar to Kalla-Nohra Syndrome. The two diseases are so similar that the treatment is the same for both, though a doctor can tell the difference between them by means of a blood screening.
Rogath blight is a disease that affects plants, most notably farm crops. The only way to get rid of it is to burn the crops at the first sign and then let the land lie fallow (without any plants) for a year.
The Temecklian virus is a contagious disease that occasionally will break out on Bajor. It is caused by unclean living conditions and causes vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, chills, and coughing.
Betazoid
The Betazoid phase is a physical phase that all Betazoid and half-Betazoid females enter when they reach their 40s or 50s, similar to human menopause. Unlike menopause, however, during the phase a Betazoid’s sex-drive quadruples or more. This can also cause troubles with the woman’s telepathic abilities.
Zanthi Fever is an illness that affects the empathic abilities of Betazoids, usually those in mid-life or later. Instead of sensing others’ emotions, the Betazoid will project their own emotions onto others but only those where there is a possibility of that emotion occurring on its own. A simple wide-spectrum anti-viral agent is enough to cure the condition in all crewmembers.
Cardassian
Rudellian Plague is an infectious Cardassian illness. It can be spread to other races if the person’s immune system response is low.
Yarim Fel Syndrome is a fatal disease in Cardassians though the patient’s life can be prolonged by hexadrin therapy or neuro-regeneration procedures, though not for longer than 2 years. The disease would spread throughout the body and cause shooting pains throughout the person or in certain parts of the body. Once in the digestive tract, cartilage tissue, and respiratory system, the patient is thought to have about a week to live. Eventually the disease would cause brain death, resulting in the death of the death of the patient.
Deltan
Deltan Herpes is a new epidemic of the Deltan race that is similar to the human disease of herpes. It is characterized by painful sores on the genitals of the individual in question. It is not terminal, but there is no cure and is quite painful. The symptoms last for 4-28 days followed by a remission period. It is passed on from mother to child during pregnancy.
Deltan Seizures is a neurological disorder that affects Deltans, affecting the empathic abilities of the Deltan in question. The Deltan in question would experience sudden pain in increasing amounts, along with anyone in contact with his/her skin. It is not, however, contagious and is treatable though not curable.
Ferengi
Dorek Syndrome is a rare, terminal Ferengi illness. Very few Ferengi can catch it and once diagnosed, one has only a few days to live.
Hefestian
Tuvan Syndrome is a degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system of Vulcanoid species. There is no known cure, though scientists are working on it. The first sign of the disease is loss of motor control over their physical actions within the first 10 to 15 years of contracting it, with life expectancy between 20 and 25 years.
Human
Clarke’s Disease is a disorder of the human brain whose symptoms increase and worsen over time. Symptoms include hallucinations and (in the final stages) severe pain. It is fatal though treatment can expand the life expectancy from 15 to 40 years after treatment.
Darnay’s Disease is a deadly disease with no cure which attacked the spinal column and brain of humans. Among its symptoms are coughing, pain, shortness of breath, irritability, and erratic behavior.
Iverson’s Disease is a medical condition in humans affecting the muscles whose symptoms increase over time. The disease increasingly causes physical motor skills to become weaker and shakier but does not affect the mental awareness of the patient. There is no known cure and no remission.
Parinisti Measles is a medical condition that infects humans. Among the symptoms are fever, nausea and itchy red pustules on the skin.
‘’’Shalaft’s Syndrome’’’ is an extremely rare illness in humans where the patient becomes hypersensitive to sound where even a whisper can cause agony. It is passed down through families to every male in the family. It is curable, though the patient’s hearing is better than average throughout their life.
Klingon
Ba’ltmasor Syndrome is a Klingon illness that requires weekly injections. Among the symptoms are numbness in the hands and feet.
A gorch is a large and unsightly skin blemish that Klingon adolescents develop, similar to acne in human teenagers.
Rop’ngor is a childhood disease in Klingons that is characterized by a fever, pain in the joints, weakness, and fatigue.
Romulan
Terothka virus is a highly-contagious Romulan illness which has several different varieties though the symptoms of them are all similar: fever, stomach cramps and debilitating rash of the skin.
Tuvan Syndrome is a disease of the central nervous system that infects Romulans, Vulcans, Hefestians, and other Vulcanoids. It is typically worsens over time and is incurable. In 10 to 15 years of contracting the disease the patient would begin losing control of their motor controls and could expect to die between 20 to 25 years of contracting the disease.
Vulcan
Bendii Syndrome is an illness that affects the brain of a few elderly Vulcans that worsens over time. The initial symptoms are being wasteful, weakness, fatigue, fever, and a gradual but increasing loss of emotional control, with patients prone to sudden bursts of emotion. Diagnosis is made by culturing tissue samples from the patient’s metathalamus. There is no treatment, but there is ongoing research into it. A side effect of the disease is that the loss of emotional control can be telepathically projected onto others. While Vulcans can resist these outbursts, other races can become violent when in the presence of a patient.
Pa’nar Syndrome is a Vulcan disease that results in the breakdown in neural pathways in the brain. It also affects the endocrine and immune systems by causing them to fail. The cause is a mind-meld performed by someone who was not trained the right way. It can be cured by a meld performed by an experienced melder and through medicine found on Vulcan.
Tuvan Syndrome is an incurable disease in Vulcanoids that worsens over time. The patient will lose control of motor functions within 10 to 15 years and can expect to die within 20 to 25 years.