In our game, the Curse infected every population in the game at least once (except for Non Nomen's chickens). Each incidence of illness is a victory of sorts for a virus, and the Curse struck humans approximately 8000 times, pigs 11,000 times, and birds 750 times on South Spratly Island. In the process, it launched two successful new flu strains into the world, which probably would have infected hundreds of millions, if not billions, of people.

In game terms, the Curse was a big, big winner!

Secrets of the Curse's success:

1. SURPRISE AND IGNORANCE. The other players were not told
what the "Curse" was, and even after they found out,
they did not fully realize how influenza moves through populations and how deadly strains of influenza are generated.

2. PEOPLE CHOOSE TANGIBLE MONEY OVER INTANGIBLE RISK.
Even when the threat of influenza was clearly present, some players were reluctant to stop the activities that were bringing so much wealth into their villages.

3. BATTLING DISEASE REQUIRES DILIGENCE AND COOPERATION.
It only takes one non-participant to make a quarantine useless.