Disease of the week

A disease of the week is an illness that serves as a plot device in a single Star Trek (or other SF series) episode. The existence of disease-based episodes that occur on Federation planets or bases is amusing in light of Federation claims to have eliminated disease. It is also not unusual for pathogens to be brought on board by members of an away team, despite the existence of a "biofilter" in the transporter system that is supposed to remove them.

Star Trek Examples

TNG

• "Code of Honor": A plague on Styris IV requires the Enterprise to retrieve a medical treatment from the non-Federation planet Ligon II.
• "Too Short a Season": Admiral Jameson has a chronic case of Iverson's Disease.
• "Angel One": A virus that Wesley acquired during shore leave infects most of the crew of the Enterprise.
• "The Schizoid Man": Dr. Ira Graves is dying of Varnay's Disease.
• "Sarek": Sarek is suffering from Bendii Syndrome, a disease that causes dementia in elderly Vulcans.