Fallout 76 diseases

Diseases are a type of negative condition

Gameplay
When the player character consumes unclean food and liquid, there is a chance of acquiring a disease. Exposure to the elements, such as sleeping on floor mattresses, swimming in contaminated water or breathing toxic air, can also cause disease. They may also be contracted from contact with diseased creatures. Similar to mutations, diseases have a 30-minute cooldown for catching another disease or 45 minutes for the same disease. Leaving the server resets this cooldown so that another disease can immediately be obtained upon joining a different server.

Prevention
Diseases can be avoided by cooking food, eating pre-War packaged food and drinking boiled or purified water. Sleeping on raised mattresses will never grant a disease, while sleeping on a floor mattress may inflict one. Avoid physical contact with diseased creatures, as each melee attack has a chance to inflict disease.

They may also be avoided by maintaining a character's food and water needs, as each increases the resistance of disease by 25%, or by 35% with the perk Rejuvenated. Taking antibiotics or consuming certain food and drink also temporarily increases disease resistance, but using RadAway will temporarily reduce disease resistance by 50%.

The perks Iron Stomach and Thirst Quencher greatly reduce the chance of disease from consumed food and liquid, respectively, while the perk Vaccinated protects against diseased creatures. The mutations herbivore and carnivore will grant immunity to disease when eating raw and spoiled plants or meat, respectively.

Treatment
All diseases will naturally expire over time. A single disease can be cured early by using a disease cure or antibiotics, drinking from the sulfur water fountain at a white gazebo near the Whitespring Golf Club, or by entering the constructible Sympto-Matic. The C.A.M.P. ally Solomon Hardy will cure diseases for the C.A.M.P. owner.

Bugs

 * The Plague Walker mutation does not prevent the time-based expiration of diseases, which it claims to do. ; confirmed to be a description error in January 26, 2021 patch.
 * The challenge for acquiring all diseases is bugged and does not register Sludge Lung, whether it is acquired by breathing in the toxic air in the Ash Heap or acquired from a diseased wendigo.