Mystery of the forgotten plague

In the last decade there have been several cases of a disease not seen for 70 years.

Encaphilitis Lethargica was a devastating illness that swept the world in the 1920's.

It attacked the brain, leaving victims like living statues, speechless and motionless.

During the outbreak, nearly a million died, and millions more were left frozen inside their useless bodies, in institutions.

Noone knew what had caused it, or how to treat it.

Since 1993, this disease has been diagnosed in at least 20 patients. Doctors have carried out much research and have finally found the cause, which led them to solve the 80 year old mystery.

They had discovered evidence of a rare form of streptoccus bacteria in all their patients.

The bacteria that can cause a simple sore throat had mutated into a much more severe form and triggered the attacks of encaphilitis lethargica.

Immune reaction

It seems that in some people the body has a massive immune reaction to the streptoccus bacteria and then turns on the body itself; attacking the brain and destroying it.

Quotes from news.bbc.co.uk...

Great another viral infection to add to my list of "don't get" . Seriously though, with all these diseases around its a miracle our medicine can keep up. Im scared of hearing something that infects vegetables next (There might already be something for all i know) im worried for the future nonetheless.

Just to point out it is, in fact, a bacterial infection, not a virus.

I just hope it's not resistant to the antibiotics we have.

Man, this is scarry. Now with all the other diseases, and then this one, I might have to be confined to my house for the rest of my life, if I leave, who knows what I'll catch

I know the feeling of being afraid to leave the house
Here, in Phoenix, we hava an epidemic of West Nile Virus. I don't go outside in the early morning or early evening ...which, unfortunately, are the only heat tolerable times of day.
Ah well, one more thing to worry about
joey

So basically this infection leaves its host pretty much a vegetable. Like a statue, meaning unable to move, what a nightmare.

I'm curious if this is what caused the catatonic state that the patients in the movie "Awakenings" experienced? It would make sense since most of them were recovering from the 1918 spanish flu and the bacteria could take hold as a secondary infection.

Anyone have any other infomation on this? My curiosity has been peaked.



[edit on 30-7-2004 by Bleys]