Las Plagas

Las Plagas (from Spanish, meaning The Plagues) are a fictional breed of parasitic organisms and the central focus of Resident Evil 4's storyline. Unlike the T-Virus (from the previous games), which turned its victims into mindless zombies, the victims of Las Plagas (such as the Ganados) are violent savages that retain their intelligence and work collectively to pursue their target.

History

The Plagas were first discovered by a religious group in Europe known as the "Los Iluminados" in an undisclosed region of Europe (probably Spain) . The cult used the Plagas as a mean of recruiting new members. However, the first castellan of the Salazar family opposed the cult and sealed off access to the parasites in his castle.

Centuries later, Ramon Salazar, the eighth Salazar castellan, was brainwashed by Osmund Saddler, the new leader of Los Iluminados, into joining Los Iluminados and opening the seal that concealed the Plagas. The two hired the local villagers as miners to undo the seal.

Due to years of concealment, the Plagas have since mutated into a spore-like substance from their fossilized remains. The miners that were excavating the site, inhaled the spores, causing the revival of the parasites within their bodies. Since then, Saddler developed a specialized sample of the Plagas by turning the spore-like substance into a liquified form.

The agency that employs Albert Wesker and Ada Wong attempted to steal a master Plaga sample by having Jack Krauser and Ada infiltrate the cult.

Characteristics

Las Plagas is a type of parasite which alters its host's behaviour by attaching itself internally into the nervous system. Unlike other parasites, the Plagas are a social organism, meaning that live together in social harmony (instead of individually) and have a collective intelligence. It is believed that the parasites can communicate with each other through a unique sonic wave frequency that can only be heard by them, although this is purely hypothetical. Nevertheless, the Ganados appeared to be under the influence of Saddler, who used a ceremonial rod made out of a Plaga.

The parasites also have a high adaptability rate, as they can possess other kinds of organisms besides humans. In addition to the Ganados, Saddler and his men also created several kinds of mutant creatures with Las Plagas such as El Gigante, the Regenerators and the Novistadores as a result of genetic experiments with the parasites and human specimens.

All of the members of Los Iluminados, including Saddler himself, have Plaga parasites implanted into their bodies. However, the ones used by him and his top underlings (Bitores Mendez and Salazar) have evolved beyond those of typical humans. Jack Krauser also had a parasite implanted into his body that allowed him to transform his left arm into a claw, although he appeared mostly unaffected by Saddler's influences.

Countermeasures

If a person has been infected with the parasite, then the parasite can still be neutralized with medication before the egg hatches. However, once the plaga has hatched, then the only way to get rid of the parasite is by undergoing a special kind of radiation surgery (specialized pills can be used to suppress growth of the parasites until then). This procedure has the possibility of impairing the host's consciousness, as well as kill the host if the Plaga has already matured into adulthood.

Luis Sera, a researcher who betrayed Saddler, built an operating machine which produced this kind of radiation after analyzing a way of removing the Plagas. Leon and Ashley, who had Plagas implanted into their bodies, used the machine to eliminate the Plagas and they both managed to survive the operation.

See also

• List of creatures in Resident Evil 4