>>>
>>>I'd've thought that the word "disease" in the sentence did!
>>
>>So "sufferer" isn't ill until you specify disease. Therefore not a good translation.
>
>I keep peppering you with buckshot but yopui won't stay down. How about "The afflicted"? :-)

May be close. Though, judging by the dictionary, isn't that a bit strong? It seems to imply "great suffering due to adversity", and not necessarily from a disease.

And you may have noticed it's not a noun. But then, what's the big deal? It's not that you're the word warehouse keeper and there's something missing in the inventory that they'd take off your salary. Not that anyone would blame you for not having something that never was there in the first place (or any other place).

(missing as in absent, not as obtuse shooter)