Interesting Theme For The Map Names In Eris

[IcarusRises]

While playing the other day I discovered a cool easter egg concerning the level names of Eris. While most of systems have levels that refernce various celestial or geographic features of the respective planet (ie: Pacific and Everest on Earth, or Demios and Olympus on Mars), the Eris system has a much different theme to its maps. They all reference a parasite or vector associated with parasitic disease! This is, of course, fitting because Eris is an Infested dominated system. I just gotta say, bravo DE, you made the parasitologist in me a very happy man.

For those who are curious, I compiled a list of all the names and some fun facts about the disease conditions they are associated with.

ACANTHamoeba – an amebae that cause eye infections via contaminated contact solution. Never wash your contacts with tap water!

ASCARis lumbricoides – an intestinal roundworm that causes a bunch of GI problems, also you poop worms.

BRUGIA – a genus of roundworm that can cause elephantitis

CANDIRU – a type of parasitic fish native to the Amazon. Infamous for its habit of lodging itself inside the urethra (Ouch!)

CYATHostomin – an intestinal worm of horses

GIARDIA – a protozoan that causes great GI distress, commonly found in the streams of the Appalachian Mountains

Taenia SOLIUM – the pig tapeworm, once sold as a weight loss strategy. Do not try this, it will end badly.

VIVER – Unsure of this one, possibly a reference to Plasmodium vivax, a type of malaria

MicroSPORIDia – a fungus that infectsthe hair and skin, via animal bites/scratches

IXODES – the genus of tick that transmits Lyme disease and Babesia

SPARGAnum – the name of the larval form of the fish tapeworm Diphyllobothrium latum

COSIS – a suffix referencing an infection by a fungus, ie: Cryptococcosis

PHALAN – Not sure on this one, possibly refers to the phalange, aka a finger.

OESTRUS – Reference to Oestridae, a family of botfly that lays their eggs in the soft tissues of the host animal. This condition is called myiasis, you erupt with maggots.

PSOROptidia – a class of parasitic mite

MyXINI – a class of hagfish (similar to lampreys)

RANOVA - ???

SAXIS - ???

HymenoLEPSIS diminuta – the rat tapeworm, not very common in humans

GNATHOStoma spinigerum – a rare cestode (fluke) parasite

HISTOplasma – an infectious fungus endemic to the Ohio and Mississippi River beds

HYMENOlepsis – See above.

ISOSpora belli – a protozoan parasite that afflicts immuncompromised patients

ParagoNIMUS westermani – the lung fluke, acquired by eating contaminated crabs. Its symptomology resembles tuberculosis.

KALA-AZAR – or Black fever, a common name for Visceral Leishmaniasis. A hemoflagellate parasite, it invades the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. Mortality is 100% if left untreated.

NAEGLERia – the cause of Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis. Very deadly, acquired by nasal insufflation of contaminated water. (Chlorinate your pools!)

Even the boss has its name rooted with the theme, PHORIDae is the phylogenetic family for most common flies.

[Milenos]

GIARDIA – a protozoan that causes great GI distress, commonly found in the streams of the Appalachian Mountains

My planet is a disease yay!

[Hakehalu]

Interesting, I love this post *w*

[Tauxi]

Seems like I've been farming hagfish all this time...

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Nice find, man. I would have never clocked onto this one. :P

And... Why is Phorid - the biggest infested thing in this game - named after a fly family? o.o

[IcarusRises]

And... Why is Phorid - the biggest infested thing in this game - named after a fly family? o.o

Heres my theory. An individual fly in of itself is fairly harmless, however given the immense numbers and prevelance of flies over the world they are responsible for more disease than any one source.