Slimelung

Slimelung is a contagious disease in Oxygen Not Included that primarily multiplies in Slime and Polluted Oxygen. It exists as germs in the environment and on tiles and is notable for making infected duplicants lose breathable air faster than they recover it, causing occasional forceful wheezing and intermittent sneezing that can interrupt tasks and sleep. Sneezes emit 1000 germs each. Slimelung interacts strongly with environmental media and is susceptible to common disinfection methods used in late-game base hygiene.

Slimelung behavior and core properties:

• Temperature tolerance: 10 °C to 100 °C.
• Pressure tolerance: 0 kg to 1000 kg.
• Multiplies most effectively when on or in Slime and in Polluted Oxygen; exposure to Polluted Oxygen multiplies germ growth by +300% per cycle.
• Germ growth is inhibited in most other gases.
• Germs are killed by exposure to Oxygen gas and by being on solid or liquid tiles.
• Disinfection methods that remove Slimelung include exposure to Chlorine Gas and contact with a Bleach Stone.
• The in-game germ count is stored as a 32-bit signed integer; counts are capped at 2,147,483,647 and values outside the valid range are clamped to zero.

Factors that increase or decrease Slimelung growth:

• Growth increases:
  • Surrounded by Polluted Water: +4% per cycle
  • Surrounded by Polluted Oxygen: +4% per cycle
  • Growing on Slime: +15% per cycle
• Decline/inhibition factors:
  • Dying on solid tiles (other than Slime or Algae): -13% per cycle
  • Dying on Oxygen gas: -29% per cycle
  • Surrounded by Oxygen gas: -13% per cycle
  • Overpopulation penalties: -13% per cycle (can be higher inside Algae Distiller, up to -29%); overpopulation thresholds: >4500 germs/kg for Slime, >500 germs/kg for solids other than Slime
  • Temperature at 100 °C: -29% per cycle
• Slimelung is killed outright if placed on solid or liquid tiles or exposed to Oxygen gas.

Symptoms and practical effects:

• Infected duplicants breathe down their air meter faster than they regain it, producing audible wheezing that can interrupt treatments and tasks; they are particularly unsuited for low-oxygen environments.
• Occasional sneezes produce 1000 germs each; while each sneeze produces a relatively small number of germs, sneezing can disrupt jobs or sleep.
• Sources differ on whether Slimelung will self-resolve: one reference states that an untreated duplicant will recover after 8 cycles, while other documentation recommends immediate treatment and indicates the disease should not be passively waited out. Given this conflict, treat Slimelung as a condition that benefits from prompt treatment.

Treatment and management:

• Immediate treatment is recommended. Treated duplicants should rest in a well-ventilated environment because frequent wheezing will interrupt treatment otherwise.
• Breathing in additional germs during treatment does not change the treatment process itself, but it can cause quick reinfection after cure; therefore isolation from germ sources during recovery is important.
• Standard disinfection methods — exposure to Chlorine Gas or Bleach Stone contact, as well as ensuring exposure to Oxygen and removing Slime contact — are effective at eliminating Slimelung from tiles and environments.