Diseases in RimWorld prevent colonies from operating at 100% efficiency. Sick colonists can experience different symptoms, such as pain and vomiting, and these can quickly spell out disaster for your colony. So it’s wise to know about these different illnesses so you can prepare for them if your colonists become sick. With that in mind, here we'll cover every disease in RimWorld and how to cure them.
All Diseases in RimWorld (And How to Cure Them)
It's important to mention that the chosen AI storyteller can affect the frequency of diseases that occur in RimWorld. Players can change the occurrences of illnesses by changing the storyteller’s settings. Alternatively, use dev or console commands to change or toggle diseases from your game.
Infection
Infection is one of the fastest-working diseases in RimWorld. Particularly, it’s the quickest disease that can weaken and even kill a colonist in less than 1.5 days if left untreated. Additionally, any colonist can contract an infection, particularly after a wound appears on their body.How to Cure: The infected colonist must have ample bed rest and medicine. Alternatively, amputating the infected body part can reduce the infection rate to 0%.
Flu
Despite being one of the fairly commonly occurring diseases in RimWorld, the flu doesn’t require as much care to remedy as compared to an infection. However, failure to heal a colonist afflicted with the flu may still lead to death.Apart from the on-screen notification, you’ll know when a colonist has the flu when the pawn is experiencing reduced breathing, manipulation, and consciousness. The flu-afflicted colonist can also vomit, particularly when the disease has progressed into its late stages.How to Cure: The infected colonist must have ample bed rest and medicine.
Malaria
Like the flu, any colonist can contract malaria. However, malaria is generally more alarming than the flu, as it can lead to early death if left untreated.A colonist who contracted malaria will experience symptoms like impaired consciousness and blood filtration. If the disease progresses, that pawn can experience pain, vomiting, and impaired manipulation.How to Cure: The infected colonist must have ample bed rest and medicine. Players can also administer Penoxycyline to healthy colonists to prevent them from contracting malaria. However, this medicine won't stop the disease that's already in progress.
Plague
The plague in RimWorld is one of the most dangerous diseases in the game. It can spread quickly, and it can harm humans and animals. An animal or human colonist afflicted with the plague can die in 1.5 days. Some symptoms include pain, as well as impaired consciousness and manipulation.How to Cure: The infected colonist must have ample bed rest and medicine.
Sleeping Sickness
Unlike other diseases in RimWorld, Sleeping Sickness progresses slowly in afflicted colonists. Also, caravans are more likely to contract this illness than colonists within the colony, as the disease can only be caught in tropical biomes, like Rainforests and Swamps.Once stricken, a colonist with Sleeping Sickness encounters symptoms like impaired consciousness and manipulation. That pawn may also experience some pain, which might lead to vomiting if left untreated. Failure to remedy this disease may also result in death, albeit it takes 20 in-game days for this event.How to Cure: The infected colonist must have ample bed rest and medicine.
Scaria
Scaria is a disease in RimWorld that only affects animals. However, an animal infected with this illness permanently becomes a manhunter. If so, the creature actively seeks out and attacks any nearby humanoid or mechanoid entity. Leaving the Scaria-afflicted animal untreated will kill it after five in-game days.How to Cure: Defeat (not kill) the animal afflicted with Scaria, and then apply surgery to it. The operation requires 3x industrial-quality medicine or better and at least one doctor with a Medical skill level of 8 or higher.
Lung Rot
Colonists with prolonged exposure to rot stink will eventually contract Lung Rot. This RimWorld disease makes the ill colonist suffer from symptoms, such as pain and reduced breathing. At the early extreme stage, this disease can also impair the pawn’s consciousness, which can also lead to death if left untreated.How to Cure: Provide medicine to the afflicted colonist. This disease doesn’t require bed rest while it’s at its early stages. Lung Rot resolves itself after 6 to 8 in-game days with regular medicine consumption.
Gut Worms
As its name implies, Gut Worms are parasites that attack a sick colonist's digestive system. Doing so causes symptoms like pain and vomiting. Additionally, the ill pawn gains a voracious appetite, increasing hunger by 100%.How to Cure: A doctor tending to the afflicted patient should resolve Gut Worms after 48 in-game hours. Alternatively, administer Healer Mech Serum, replace the stomach, or use the Biosculptor Pod’s medic cycle to eliminate Gut Worms.
Muscle Parasites
Muscle Parasites attack a colonist’s muscles, decreasing work efficiency. Unlike other diseases in RimWorld, this illness doesn't kill the afflicted pawn, even if left untreated. However, the colonist experiences various symptoms from the parasitic disease, including impaired manipulation and movement. The pawn also suffers pain and a 100% sleep fall rate.How to Cure: A doctor tending to the afflicted patient and regular medicine consumption should resolve Muscle Parasites after 48 in-game hours.
Fibrous Mechanites
Unlike other diseases in RimWorld, a colonist afflicted with Fibrous Mechanites will have an increased efficiency rating. In particular, that pawn experiences increased manipulation, mobility, and blood flow. However, that colonist also experiences an increase in sleep fall rate and mild-to-intense pain.How to Cure: The only way to cure Fibrous Mechanites is to wait for it to resolve itself within 48 in-game hours. Regular medicine consumption can slow the disease's progression, but it won't remedy the illness.
Sensory Mechanites
Like Fibrous Mechanites, Sensory Mechanites is a non-fatal disease in RimWorld with positive effects. The infected colonist gains increased sight, heating, manipulation, and communication (talking). However, that pawn also receives increased pain and sleep fall rate with the illness.How to Cure: The only way to cure Sensory Mechanites is to wait for it to resolve itself within 48 in-game hours. Regular medicine consumption can slow the disease's progression, but it won't remedy the illness.
Organ Decay
Although rare, Organ Decay is an untreatable disease in RimWorld. It starts with the patient experiencing increased pain and reduced body part efficiency. The disease matures after 30 to 40 in-game days, which results in a complete shutdown of the afflicted body part.How to Cure: Replace the affected body part with bionics or prosthetics.
Blood Rot
Blood Rot is a long-lasting disease in RimWorld, which resolves after 30 to 40 in-game days with regular medicine consumption. However, this disease can be fatal if left untreated, with the patient experiencing symptoms like reduced blood flow and filtration. At its extreme stage, Blood Rot can induce pain and vomiting to the afflicted colonist.How to Cure: Provide a regular dose of medicine to the patient. Highly skilled doctors can also operate on the afflicted colonist for immediate results.Note: Blood Rot only appears in quests included in the Royalty DLC.
Paralytic Abasia
Paralytic Abasia has a low chance of resolving itself regardless of any interference by the player. While it’s active, this disease shuts down the patient’s movement, resulting in a Downed state.How to Cure: A doctor with a Medical skill level of at least five should apply 10x Glitterworld Medicine to the colonist infected with Paralytic Abasia. Alternatively, administer a Healer Mech Serum or use the Unnatural Healing ability to heal the patient.Note: Paralytic Abasia only appears in quests included in the Royalty DLC.
Infant Illness
True to its name, Infant Illness is a disease that only affects human RimWorld babies on a sick birth. The child experiences pain and vomiting at the illness’ early stages. More severe symptoms appear during the extreme stages, including reduced breathing and consciousness. If left untreated, this disease can result in the patient’s death.How to Cure: The infected colonist must have ample bed rest and medicine.Note: Infant Illness only appears in quests included in the Biotech DLC.
