Sighters

Sighters are the first stage of the tainted and were most likely infected by another sighter. They are universal antagonists for all survivors that have eyesight; those that are blind and have very poor eyesight cannot be infected by sighters.

Infection & Symptoms
Sighters have the ability to take the sight of others by touching a survivors' eyes or forehead. Within three days of being infected by a sighter, the person affected will be easily irritated and extremely hostile towards others. Their body will begin to increase in temperature causing damage to the brain, kidneys, and other organs. This warming effects the mental health and cognitive ability of the infected causing brain cells to slowly die and not regenerate. As this happens, the eyesight of the new sighter fades until they are completely blind.

Although the brain cells of the sighter are gone, they are never mentally dead. The person will continue to see and relive their worst fears as if they aren't infected and are just trapped in a repetitive simulator. This repetition will continue until they are killed.