I want to know if the disease I invented is logical or just a total fiction.
A parasite (parasitic fungus) lives within the human brain. It infects other humans by releasing spores while invoking states of rage within their hosts. This makes it easier to infect other humans as it's similar to a "zombie" virus, if you will, though they're not dead. (I know there isn't any parasitic fungus which can infect humans, but let's say a new species was found or created in this story.)
The peculiarity of this parasite is that it can only infect people who are over 25 years (or thereabouts). Why? Because the brains of the people who are under 25 (on average) haven't reached the fourth age, so the parasite isn't viable. The frontal lobe in particular is the important factor, because to be viable for the parasite it needs to be fully developed.
There are five brain ages:
- 1st age: during pregnancy. The first neurons are formed from the 28th day of pregnancy in the embryo.
- 2nd age: from birth to 12 years.
- 3rd age: from 12 to 25 years old. (The regions in the frontal lobe are getting fully developed in the mid twenties.)
- 4th age: from 25 to 65 years old.
- 5th age: from 65 years old to ...
Oh, and if a vaccine could be found, in what way will it be the most effective?
So, do you think this parasite is possible or completely unrealistic? If you have any suggestions or ideas to make it more realistic, I'll gladly read them.