New Plague

The New Plague is an infectious disease which first arose in the 2050s within the United States.

Background
Research into possible cures for the New Plague created the Forced Evolution Virus. West Tek started to develop a cure for the plague, establishing the West Tek Research Facility. As a response to the virus, the United States entered a national quarantine to combat it.

The government used the paranoia surrounding the virus to discourage assemblies, fuel anti-communist sentiment, and encourage informing government forces of suspected subversive elements. The government further used New Plague to register civilians, claiming a symptom of the plague was "socialist thoughts" and advocating isolation: people should stay indoors, read books, and avoid "ice cream socials." Citizens were told that if they believed they were infected, they were to contact a disease control center, such as the Disaster Relief Outpost in Point Lookout. West-Tek was ultimately unable to develop a cure and control of the West Tek Research Facility was handed over to the military in 2071.

Gameplay
Methods of controlling the spread of the disease were isolation and containment. The worst symptoms included profuse sweating, unexplained contusions, and swelling, and eventually terminated in massive external hemorrhaging.

Appearances
The New Plague is mentioned in Fallout, Fallout Tactics, the Fallout 3 add-on Point Lookout, and Fallout 76.

Behind the scenes
The New Plague is mentioned in the Fallout Bible.