Chapter 490: Prion
“Yes, I know that too. Generally, blood-borne diseases are transmitted when blood enters another person’s body, and even then, infection isn’t guaranteed. Some of the most notorious and terrifying are AIDS and Ebola.”
“But those are both viruses. Viruses can’t enter the human body through skin contact, so there’s no risk of contagion. However, the strange illness I have is clearly not a virus.”
“The reason is very simple. After reading the Ancient Knowledge on the stone tablet, I can control germs at will. I can command all the viruses and bacteria within my body. If this strange illness were caused by a virus, I would surely know.”
“And Amelia just said this strange illness is somewhat similar to cancer, both caused by cellular abnormalities. But there must be a cause for any diseased cells.”
“It’s infectious through skin contact… Palula, have you heard of prions?” Amelia suddenly thought of something.
“Mad Cow Disease?!” I immediately understood what she meant. Prions aren’t actually viruses, but rather misfolded proteins that arise from cannibalism. The accurate term should be prion protein.
In other words, the essence of a prion is a piece of meat, just diseased meat. In this regard, it still bears some resemblance to cancer, as both are bodily abnormalities.
The difference is that cancer involves the unchecked division of cancerous cells and is not contagious. Cancer is not an infectious disease.
Prions, on the other hand, are infectious and can even spread across species. When humans come into contact with these misfolded proteins, their own proteins become abnormal. It’s because of this infectivity that people call them prions.
In my previous life, I certainly didn’t know so much medical knowledge. Before, I didn’t even understand what a prion was. This knowledge was left in my brain.
And it wasn’t the knowledge from the Great Fly, Beelzebub. It seems to be knowledge I gained from directly looking at that mutated, distorted deity just now.
Unlike Beelzebub’s diverse and eclectic knowledge, this deity, who appeared in the prophetic dream and is possibly the Moon God, seems to have provided me with knowledge solely in the field of medicine.
The unfortunate thing is that, just like before, I’ve forgotten all this knowledge. While dreaming, my brain couldn’t handle the knowledge of a god. If it were still in my head, I would have exploded on the spot.
Just like with Beelzebub’s knowledge, I can only recall it when I see the actual thing and have a sense of déjà vu.
For example, now that prions are mentioned, my mind is still flooded with information about Kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Gerstmann syndrome, and fatal familial insomnia. It seems these are all diseases caused by prions in the human body.
“Yes, that’s right. It’s good you know about Mad Cow Disease. The strange illness you have now is somewhat like a prion disease. Contact can cause mutation, and it might even be more potent than prions. However, prions are proteins, while your abnormality is in your red blood cells,” Amelia said.
“Wait! What about Older Brother Jayad?! Is he okay?” I suddenly thought. Jayad had the most intimate contact with me. If mere contact could cause mutation, he would be the most at risk.
Amelia had told me before that my body was full of various germs, but they didn’t cause disease. And indeed, after mastering the spell to control germs, I confirmed this fact.
Then I took control of all the viruses and bacteria, absolutely determined not to infect Jayad. I also secretly examined Jayad’s body, and he was perfectly fine, not infected by any other germs.
He was even exceptionally healthy, with no hidden ailments whatsoever. He didn’t seem like a child who came from the Slums, suffering from Malnutrition and having no concept of hygiene.
But now, a condition has appeared that even I cannot detect. I myself got sick without realizing it. It’s hard to say if Jayad is still safe. Mutated red blood cells are not germs.
“He’s fine. I’ve already taken a Blood sample from your brother, and there’s no mutation at all, so he’s completely safe,” Amelia said.
“When?!” As soon as I asked, I felt like I’d asked a foolish question. Of course, it was when we were both sleeping just now.
“This is your brother’s Blood sample. To be honest, it’s different from that of an ordinary person, but I don’t have precise equipment to determine its specific properties. I can only confirm that he should still be healthy.”
Amelia took out a glass dish containing bright red blood. It seemed to faintly emit a soft light.
It wasn’t a reflection; it was a gentle glow, making it look as clear and translucent as a ruby.
“This is your Blood sample.” Amelia took out another glass dish. The blood inside was dark red, viscous, and turbid, looking like decay.
Indeed, one could tell who was healthier with the naked eye.
“Now, I’m giving you a Blood transfusion with a Blood bag that matches your blood type, type B. It’s from the Vampire Banshee Castle, but it will likely only be a temporary relief. I don’t know when your illness will recur, so you’ll still need to return to the clinic for a specific examination.”
Luckily, as a professional doctor, Amelia followed the basic principles of Blood transfusion. I wasn’t worried about her matching the wrong blood type, but rather about her giving me some kind of Ancient God’s blood for a special blood therapy.
According to the pile of medical knowledge I just acquired, infusing the blood of a higher being can cure many diseases in lower races, even granting a stronger body. Many quacks highly praised or even superstitiously believed in blood therapy.
However, blood therapy also requires compatibility; otherwise, there will be severe side effects, leading to death in severe cases, and possibly turning into a monster in milder cases.
“Ah, right. And about your brother, when I was taking his blood just now, I noticed that the parts of his left arm are somehow half necrotic, almost like a Zombie’s arm,” Amelia said.
“This is actually the original reason we came to find you. Older Brother Jayad used the Hand of Glory, and his arm was eroded by the side effects of Black Magic. His nerves seem to have died,” I finally remembered why I initially wanted to find Amelia.
“No way? You dared to casually use Black Magic items? I’ve thought of two relatively simple methods. One is for me to operate and remove his necrotic nerves, and then he can use Holy Light to heal. The second is to simply chop off his hand and I’ll give him a new arm.” Amelia suggested.
I was momentarily speechless. Why did treating and saving people sound like fixing a car to Amelia? If a tire blows out, you either patch it or replace it.
“Regardless, it’s still the same problem. I can’t perform surgery without surgical equipment in the Dream World. To save you and your brother, we have to get out of the Dream World first.”
So, it was time to find the Queen of the Insects and fulfill her promise.
