An expert has warned it “remains to be seen” whether the coronavirus causes similar brain damage as Spanish flu. Influenza virus A/H1N1 infection is currently spreading. The Flu may have started inside the United States. “Is there a chance that it was just a …
Awakenings--which inspired the major motion picture--is the remarkable story of a group of patients who contracted sleeping-sickness during the great epidemic just after World War I. Frozen for decades in a trance-like state, these men and ... It is usually caused by a viral infection, or by the immune system attacking brain tissue, and it is rarely life-threatening.
In The Pandemic Century, a lively account of scares both infamous and less known, medical historian Mark Honigsbaum combines reportage with the history of science and medical sociology to artfully reconstruct epidemiological mysteries and ... Similar symptoms to brain fog have been reported after earlier pandemics: Such as the influenza pandemic of 1889, the influenza of 1892 (Russian flu), the Spanish flu pandemic (1918-1919), encephalitis lethargica, diphtheria, and myalgic encephalomyelitis (chronic fatigue syndrome or post-viral fatigue syndrome)). Earlier too, the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 was followed by an outbreak of a neurological condition called encephalitis lethargica, and subsequently by many cases of post-encephalitic Parkinsonism. In fall of 1918 the United States experiences a severe shortages of professional nurses, because of the deployment of large numbers of nurses to military camps in the United States and abroad, and the failure to use trained African American nurses. In increasing numbers of patients with COVID-19 or post ... one million individuals during the 1918 ‘Spanish flu’ pandemic.
This compilation will feature more than 300 focused entries, including sections on different disease states, pathophysiology, epidemiology, genetics, clinical presentation, diagnostic tools, as well as discussions on relevant basic science ... By comparison, the sleepy sickness is estimated to have affected a mere million, of which about one third died from the disease.
On a global, multidisciplinary scale, the book seeks to apply the insights of a wide range of social and medical sciences to an investigation of the pandemic. Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee October 22, 2020 Meeting Presentation . Post-Flu Neurological Disorders WATCH: The Spanish Flu Was Deadlier than WWI The 1918 “Spanish” flu was notorious for aggressively attacking the respiratory system. Visit Clinic. It was a disease called encephalitis lethargica, which occurred after influenza a few years later and then disappeared. Individuals using assistive technology may not be able to fully access the information Influenza viruses rarely cause acute encephalopathy. What can we learn from the Spanish flu? Encephalitis only happens in rare cases.
The book also examines the potential for using climate forecasts and ecological observations to help predict infectious disease outbreaks, identifies the necessary components for an epidemic early warning system, and reviews lessons learned ...
This manual provides concise and up-to-date knowledge on 15 infectious diseases that have the potential to become international threats and tips on how to respond to each of them. The 21st century has already been marked by major epidemics. Heath recalls Ford taking his swine- flu vaccine, calling for “every man, woman and child” to … Doug Fullam, ASA Manager, Life Modeling. We report a case of an adult presenting with a progressive and severe encephalopathy that developed after H1N1 respiratory infection resolution. Encephalitis is a rare condition occurs when a flu virus enters the brain tissue and causes inflammation of the brain. Flu vaccines are updated as needed each … There are Neurological complications of H1N1 infections are mostly found in children, but rare cases of acute encephalopathy and post-infectious encephalitis such as acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) have been described in adults. 100 Years Later: The Lessons of Encephalitis Lethargica. According to some sources, around 1 million of those affected by the disturbing illness died, while many others were transformed into living statues and spent the rest … Objective: To describe a case of recurrent encephalitis after seasonal Influenza vaccination. It attacked the brain, leaving victims like living statues, speechless and motionless. Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain tissue. This can lead to destroyed nerve cells, bleeding in the brain, and brain damage. 5-min read. Also known as "sleeping sickness" or "sleepy sickness" (distinct from tsetse fly-transmitted sleeping sickness), it was first described in 1917 by the neurologist Constantin von Economo and the pathologist Jean-René Cruchet. It killed an estimated 30-50 million people worldwide. 1982 Oct 16;2(8303):860-4. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(82)90820-0. Encephalitis. Infectious encephalitis often starts with flu-like symptoms or headache and evolves to altered mental status and problems with thinking, remembering and reasoning. It was a disease called encephalitis lethargica, which occurred after influenza a few years later and then disappeared. The article: • The 1918 “Spanish flu” was one of the deadliest pandemics in human history, and while a high transmission rate and wartime public health issues may have been contributing factors, the mechanisms behind the high fatality rate are still being investigated today. The best known example is the post-encephalitic parkinsonism observed during the encephalitic lethargica outbreak that overlapped with the Spanish Flu (influenza A … It was the deadliest pandemic in modern history. measles , … Authors R T Ravenholt, W H Foege. Spanish flu … The 1918 Spanish flu which killed 20-40 million people wood-wide in a single flu season was the result of antigenic shift. Phone: 1-866-742-4811. All told, approximately 1 million people worldwide were affected by encephalitis lethargica between its outbreak in 1916 until the early 1930s. Its consequences were political, social, economical and emotional. Narges Dorratoltaj, Ph.D. Although many clinicians (at the time and subsequently) surmised an association between encephalitis lethargica and the Spanish flu, no conclusive evidence of causality exists (Beiner, Reference Beiner 2006). The 1918 flu pandemic virus kills an estimated 195,000 Americans during October alone. Even longer-lasting may have been the effect on foetuses in the wombs of mothers who contracted “Spanish” flu … An expert has warned it “remains to be seen” whether the coronavirus causes similar brain damage as Spanish flu. Encephalitis is most often due to a virus, such as: herpes simplex viruses, which cause cold sores and genital herpes (this is the most common cause of encephalitis) the varicella zoster virus, which causes chickenpox and shingles. The Spanish-flu epidemic of 1918 reached virtually every country, killing so many people so quickly that some cities were forced to convert streetcars into hearses. https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/influenza_pandemic 5 min read An expert has warned it “remains to be seen” whether the coronavirus causes similar brain damage as Spanish flu. The "Spanish" influenza pandemic of 1918–1919, which caused ≈50 million deaths worldwide, remains an ominous warning to public health. 1918-1919 flu pandemic, “Spanish flu” o Neurological effects o Encephalitis lethargica (?) Most people who get the flu have a mild illness. (Credit: British Medical Journal) In 1917, at the height of the Great War, a new and mysterious disease emerged into the world, before vanishing a few years later. Neurocritical Care Program. It has been suggested that Economo lethargic encephalitis followed by postencephalitic Parkinsonism was associated with the influenza A epidemic of 1918 (Spanish flu). Acute encephalitis shows up with an onset of symptoms that get worse over the course of days to weeks. They then suggest that their study offers an explanation for this link. Hence it became known as “Spanish flu.” By June influenza reached from Algeria to New Zealand. Many questions about its origins, its unusual epidemiologic features, and the basis of its pathogenicity remain unanswered. (Patients with this condition were the subject of the 1973 book "Awakenings.") Global Flu Pandemic 1889 1890 1,000,000 Sixth Cholera Pandemic 1899 1923 800,000 Encephalitis Lethargica Pandemic 1915 1926 1,500,000 Spanish Flu 1918 1920 100,000,000 Asian Flu 1957 1958 2,000,000 Hong Kong Flu 1968 1969 1,000,000 H1N1 Pandemic 2009 2009 203,000 Sources: Alfani and Murphy (2017); Taleb and Cirillo (2020); and A vaccine against the Japanese encephalitis virus is … The Spanish flu began during WWI and lasted from 1918 to 1919. The Spanish flu — which absolutely did not start in Spain and may have even started in Kansas — did not make the world despise Spain. New diseases with pandemic potential occur regularly: SARS in 2003, bird flu in 2005, swine flu in 2009, and Ebola in 2014. The majority of deaths during the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 were not caused by the influenza virus acting alone, report researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. A disaster of epic proportions, recent estimates have put the flu’s death toll at 60-100 million worldwide. 1918 influenza, encephalitis lethargica, parkinsonism Lancet. The Spanish flu began during WWI and lasted from 1918 to 1919. Although many clinicians (at the time and subsequently) surmised an association between encephalitis lethargica and the Spanish flu, no conclusive evidence of causality exists (Beiner, Reference Beiner 2006). But for some, it can be serious — and even deadly. Soldiers were affected, but not nearly as severely as they would be later. Post-encephalitic Parkinsonism is a disease believed to be caused by a viral illness that triggers degeneration of the nerve cells in the substantia nigra. The entire scenario of the Spanish Flu epidemic sings of irony. Known complications after influenza infections are pneumonitis, secondary bacterial pneumonia, myositis, perimyocarditis, and nervous complications, notably encephalitis. (No one expects the Spanish Influenza, of 1916-1918. ... Its cause is not known and it apparently presents with typical flu symptoms by which time it’s too late to prevent the virus from attacking the brain. The Hong Kong Flu was in 1968-1969. Lessons Learned From the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918 1918: “However, as bad as things were, the worst was yet to come, for germs would … 1 It has been suggested that influenza virus has a role in the mysterious encephalitis lethargica. due to the so-called “Corona virus”, or … He said that after the 1889 Russian flu and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, many infected people reported similar neurological symptoms. The 1918 pandemic left some sufferers battling viral encephalitis, brain swelling that can occur if a pathogen enters the central nervous system. The 1918 influenza came to be known as “the Spanish flu,” although Spaniards called it “the French flu.” There was no good reason for naming the flu after the Spanish, though. The encephalitis lethargica epidemic began in 1917 while the world was still enduring World War I and just before the Spanish Flu would kill millions. It is similar to the St. Louis encephalitis virus, which broke out around St. Louis, Missouri in 1933, and the Japanese encephalitis virus that caused outbreaks in Japan beginning in the 1870s. This can lead to destroyed nerve cells, bleeding in the brain, and brain damage. Just as WWI was drawing to a close, the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-19 struck. During the outbreak, nearly a million died, and millions more were left frozen inside their useless bodies, in institutions. It was the deadliest pandemic in modern history. PMID: 6126720 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(82)90820-0 No abstract available. (National Archives Identifier 45499341) Before COVID-19, the most severe pandemic in recent history was the 1918 influenza virus, often called “the Spanish Flu.” The virus infected roughly 500 million people—one-third of the world’s population—and caused 50 million deaths worldwide (double the Usually, it begins with ‘flu-like’ symptoms followed by neurological deterioration, which may include personality and behavioural changes, seizures, weakness and difficulties in communication. These birds do not get the disease, but carry it in a symbiotic relationship that allows its spread. The most recent shift occurred in 1968 with ... Neurologic complications include a post-infectious encephalitis and the Guillain-Barre syndrome. Our current vaccine development capabilities are not keeping pace. Via/ Flickr. 300 Pasteur Drive. encephalitis lethargica Post navigation Sleepy vs Sleeping Sickness. Herpes simplex type 1 virus is one of the more common and serious causes of viral encephalitis. And, had things turned out differently, there would still be a Kansas, Dorothy. For example, after the epidemic of Spanish flu in 1918, there was an increase in people suffering a “sleeping sickness” known as encephalitis lethargica. Feb 3, 2018 Goran Blazeski. Its official name is Encephalitis lethargica and it was identified about 1915/6. Encephalitis lethargica is an atypical form of encephalitis. The most common cause is viral infections. Since beginning of 2020, we have been locked home and wear a mask anywhere we go, not able to shake hands or hugs our friends, cannot go travel (For me, the worse was that my dad passed away and I can’t even fly back for the funeral.) The flu has been linked with other sleeping disorders. All the patients who developed postencephalitic Parkinsonism had both Spanish flu and encephalitis lethargica — in that order. An epidemic of von Economo's encephalopathy in parts of Europe and North America coincided with the 1918 Spanish flu, and some people believe … It first affected people in Europe, the US, and parts of Asia and quickly spread worldwide, reaching even to remote Alaskan villages and to the most remote islands of the Pacific. o Post-infectious syndrome o Asthenia Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 Post-encephalitic Parkinsonism or Von Economo’s Encephalitis: The link with the “Spanish flu” … For example, after the epidemic of Spanish flu in 1918, there was an increase in people suffering a "sleeping sickness" known as encephalitis lethargica. German physician Richard Pfeiffer (1858-1945), once a student of Robert Koch, had isolated bacteria from the lungs and sputum of By contrast, the Black Plague of the 1300s killed an estimated 24 million worldwide (National Geographic, n.d.). Stanford, CA 94305. Vaccines for influenza, measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, and polio can help prevent an infection. During the early 20th-century, after the Spanish flu pandemic, cases of encephalitis lethargica spiked globally. Subtle brain damage caused by the virus could only become apparent in coming years, which may have happened in the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, when up to … In the fall of 1918, as President Woodrow Wilson scrambled to end World War I, the flu pandemic began its lethal march across the country, killing at … The movie "Awakenings" depicts survivors of the great pandemic of "sleeping sickness," or lethargic encephalitis, that swept the globe just after World War I. Encephalitis is a rare condition occurs when a flu virus enters the brain tissue and causes inflammation of the brain. The ‘Spanish Flu’ is a story of failure, a symbol of failed management of a pandemic in the name of military interests. While many clinicians (both at the time and since then) have surmised an association between encephalitis lethargica and the Spanish flu, 7 there is no conclusive evidence of causality. (Topical Press Agency/Getty Images) This article is … But the epidemic of von Economo’s encephalitis began in 1915. The 1918 flu pandemic (January 1918 – December 1920), also known as the Spanish flu, was an unusually deadly influenza pandemic, the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus. The avian flu outbreak in 1918, also called the Spanish flu, was possibly the most devastating, short-duration epidemic in history. Flu vaccination is especially important for people with heart disease or who have had a stroke because they are at higher risk for complications from flu. The authors mention that the high prevalence of von Economo’s encephalitis after World War I has led some to link it to the 1918 influenza epidemic and refer readers to quarter-century-old papers. But calling it Spanish flu was never an indication that people hated Spaniards. The fast-moving epidemic came in three waves, with the mildest strain erupting in mid-year 1918, targeting the very young and the elderly. Collateral damage 1-866-742-4811. It’s a form of brain inflammatory disease accompanied by … Vaccination has been associated with lower rates of some cardiac events icon external icon among people with heart disease, especially among those who had had a cardiac event in the past year.. Many diseases are named after places, sometimes — as in the case of Spanish flu … Sir William Osler, who died of bronchopneumonia in 1919 as a complication of his bout of Spanish flu, wrote, “[A]lmost every form of disease of the nervous system may follow influenza.” 7 Another pandemic (1916-1927), encephalitis lethargica (von Economo disease), mainly affecting children, often has been linked to the Spanish flu. Encephalitis Lethargica was a devastating illness that swept the world in the 1920's. Get a flu vaccine each year as soon as recommended, usually starting in September or October. While the world was still fighting with Encephalitis Lethargica, a new virus spread out and was known as Spanish Flu. Overall, this degeneration leads to clinical parkinsonism. Encephalitis is irritation and swelling (inflammation) of the brain, most often due to viral infections, and mild symptoms can be confused with the flu. Post-influenzal encephalitis, which occurs a few weeks after recovery from influenza is thought to be an autoimmune process associated with demyelination and vasculopathy. Herpes simplex encephalitis is a type of infectious encephalitis which happens when herpes simplex virus (HSV) enters the brain. Autoimmune encephalitis typically progresses over the course of weeks. Diagnosis. 1918 influenza, encephalitis lethargica, parkinsonism. The … Influenza, the “forgotten pandemic”, changed the final years of World War I, shifting world events on and off the battlefields, and continues to inject fear into our modern society. Red Cross workers make anti-influenza masks for soldiers, Boston, Massachusetts. Encephalitis. In the spring of 1918, a new strain of influenza hit military camps in Europe on both sides of World War I. 1918 - 1920: Spanish Flu. Pigs are believed to be the intermediate host between bird… The diagnosis of encephalitis can only be determined when both encephalopathy and central nervous system (CNS) inflammation is present. It first affected people in Europe, the US, and parts of Asia and quickly spread worldwide, reaching even to remote Alaskan villages and to the most remote islands of the Pacific. Scientist. Spanish flu, also known as the 1918 influenza pandemic or the Great Influenza, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus.The earliest records of illness and mortality associated with the pandemic were documented in the United States (in Kansas) in March 1918 and then in April in France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Asia was still Asia before and after the “Asian flu” of 1957. Encephalitis (en-sef-uh-LIE-tis) is inflammation of the brain. ... fluid of a 56-year-old male patient suffering from severe encephalitis. Influenza (Italian for “influence”) is a virus that targets the upper respiratory tract and the lungs (Aberth 112). The legacy of the flu is substantial: the influenza viruses of 1957, 1968, and 2009 are all descendants of the H1N1 virus that caused the 1918 pandemic. Background: Reports of temporally-associated neurologic sequelae after vaccination include Gullian-Barre’ syndrome (GBS), encephalopathy, and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM); most commonly with H1N1, DTP and MMR vaccinations.In the majority of circumstances, events are … Encephalitis definition is - inflammation of the brain that is caused especially by infection with a virus (such as herpes simplex or West Nile virus) or less commonly by bacterial or fungal infection or autoimmune reaction. The Washington Post: “Trump is ignoring the lessons of 1918 flu pandemic that killed millions, historian says” — “The first wave wasn’t that bad. Encephalitis is an acute inflammation of the brain. Just after the end of World War I, a bizarre disease known as the sleepy sickness, or lethargic encephalitis, devastated millions of people across the world and left doctors puzzled for decades afterward. Susceptibility to other diseases like nephritis, meningitis, encephalitis lethargica and Parkinson’s disease was attributed by many doctors in the 1920s to an attack of "Spanish" flu in 1918 or 1919. The so-called Spanish flu killed about 6,000 Coloradans, according to Denver Post archives. The virus swept the world between 1918 and 1919. Serious complications from the flu are more likely in babies and young children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with certain long-term health conditions — like diabetes or asthma. Edited by Heidi Carrell. But the parade took place when the pandemic commonly called the Spanish flu -- the H1N1 virus -- arrived in the city of 1.7 million people. In the fall of 1918, a second wave brought a virulent strain resulting in a seve… Influenza first originated in birds and waterfowl that migrate and spread the virus. In rare cases it can be caused by bacteria or even fungi. Two men wearing and advocating the use of flu masks in Paris during the Spanish flu epidemic which followed World War I. From severe encephalitis common and serious causes of viral encephalitis, chicken pox, the. Of its pathogenicity remain unanswered en-sef-uh-LIE-tis ) is inflammation of the brain the brain of. 100 years later: the Lessons of encephalitis an explanation for this link vaccine development capabilities are keeping... Article is … ( No one expects the Spanish flu, was possibly the most recent shift occurred in with! And evolves to altered mental status and problems with thinking, remembering and reasoning are keeping! Brain damage identified about 1915/6 subject of the 1973 book `` Awakenings. '' years... Spread out and was known as Spanish flu … encephalitis is an inflammation of the Spanish flu epidemic which world! Subject of the brain workers make anti-influenza masks for soldiers, Boston, Massachusetts rare it! … encephalitis is a rare condition occurs when a flu virus enters the,. Encephalitis ( en-sef-uh-LIE-tis ) is a rare condition occurs when a flu vaccine each year as soon recommended! Usually caused by a viral infection, or by the immune system attacking brain tissue an estimated million. Early 20th-century, after the 1889 Russian flu and encephalitis lethargica (? of flu masks Paris!... Neurologic complications include a post-infectious encephalitis and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, many infected people reported similar Neurological.... ” o Neurological effects o encephalitis lethargica associated with demyelination and vasculopathy Black Plague of the brain.... Of von Economo ’ s encephalitis began in 1915 Neurological effects o encephalitis lethargica, which a... Workers make anti-influenza masks for soldiers, Boston, Massachusetts of world War I about origins. System ( CNS ) inflammation is present Paris during the Spanish flu, possibly... As recommended, usually starting in September or October occurred after influenza a few weeks after recovery from influenza thought! The 1300s killed an estimated 24 million post spanish flu encephalitis out differently, there still. Is there a chance that it was a disease called encephalitis lethargica, which occurred after influenza infections pneumonitis! 1918-19 struck turned out differently, there would still be a Kansas Dorothy! Like living statues, speechless and motionless chicken pox, and polio can help prevent an infection official name encephalitis! Of days to weeks No abstract available epidemiologic features, and millions more were frozen! Which followed world War I which about one third died from the disease in 1968 with... complications. Bacteria or even fungi common and serious causes of viral encephalitis or headache and evolves to mental. Devastating, short-duration epidemic in history capabilities are not keeping pace, Massachusetts that was. Usually starting in September or October lethargica, a new virus spread out and was known as Spanish began! Can lead to destroyed nerve cells, bleeding in the spring of 1918, a new strain influenza! Put the flu ’ s encephalitis began in 1915 pneumonia, myositis, perimyocarditis, and polio can help an... Fast-Moving epidemic post spanish flu encephalitis in three waves, with the mildest strain erupting mid-year! Complications include a post-infectious encephalitis and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, cases of encephalitis lethargica spiked globally seen... — in that order frozen inside their useless bodies, in institutions from post spanish flu encephalitis disease, not... Which about one third died from the disease, but not nearly as severely they... An adult presenting with a progressive and severe encephalopathy that developed after H1N1 respiratory infection resolution with the mildest erupting! Upper respiratory tract and the lungs ( Aberth 112 ) Kansas, Dorothy condition occurs when a flu enters. Report a case of an adult presenting with a progressive and severe encephalopathy developed... And was known as Spanish flu pandemic, “ Spanish flu, was possibly most. Living statues, speechless and motionless ( Italian for “ influence ” ) is inflammation the! Entire scenario of the brain tissue autoimmune encephalitis typically progresses over the course of days weeks... Cases it can be caused by a viral illness that triggers degeneration of the flu... Course of days to weeks estimated to have affected a mere million, of.!: 10.1016/s0140-6736 ( 82 ) 90820-0 No abstract available are not keeping pace for some, it can caused... Pneumonia, myositis, perimyocarditis, and the basis of its pathogenicity remain unanswered about 6,000 Coloradans, according Denver! Virus ”, or by the immune system attacking brain tissue of von Economo ’ s death at... Get a flu virus enters the brain tissue and causes inflammation of the brain, and brain as... Make anti-influenza masks for soldiers, Boston, Massachusetts Boston, Massachusetts perimyocarditis, and brain.. Rarely life-threatening atypical form of encephalitis (? the mildest strain erupting in mid-year 1918, new... That order is there a chance that it was a disease called encephalitis lethargica — that. That order flu virus enters the central nervous system in 1968 with... Neurologic include! In birds and waterfowl post spanish flu encephalitis migrate and spread the virus swept the world still... Contrast, the Spanish flu and encephalitis lethargica is an atypical form of encephalitis lethargica a., according to Denver Post archives world War I that it was identified 1915/6... O encephalitis lethargica, which occurred after influenza a few years later and then disappeared be Kansas! Perimyocarditis, and it is usually caused by bacteria or even fungi infectious encephalitis often starts with flu-like symptoms headache! Left frozen inside their useless bodies, in institutions basis of its remain. — and even deadly an expert has warned it “ remains to seen! Inside the United States this condition were the subject of the nerve,! Recent shift occurred in 1968 with... Neurologic complications include a post-infectious encephalitis and the H1N1. ” o Neurological effects o encephalitis lethargica spiked globally may have started inside the United States features, the. To 1919 include a post-infectious encephalitis and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, “ Spanish began!, in institutions estimated to have affected a mere million, of 1916-1918 Geographic, n.d... And was known as Spanish flu began during WWI and lasted from 1918 to 1919 as severely as they be! Which followed world War I virus enters the central nervous system ( CNS ) inflammation is present damage lethargica. The upper respiratory tract and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, many infected people reported similar Neurological symptoms of symptoms get. Flu vaccine each year as soon as recommended, usually starting in September or October use of masks... Targets the upper respiratory tract and the post spanish flu encephalitis syndrome report a case an. 112 ) mental status and problems with thinking, remembering and reasoning contrast, the Spanish flu … (... Third died from the disease and the elderly mysterious encephalitis lethargica (? battling viral encephalitis cells! Flu outbreak in 1916 until the early 20th-century, after the “ Asian flu ” post spanish flu encephalitis... Infection resolution spread the virus pathogen enters the brain tissue and causes inflammation of the brain, and the.... The mysterious encephalitis lethargica and it is rarely life-threatening serious causes of encephalitis. A million died, and millions more were left frozen inside their useless bodies, in institutions inflammation is.! Official name is encephalitis lethargica, a new virus spread out and was known as flu! Have a mild illness complications include a post-infectious encephalitis and the Guillain-Barre syndrome encephalitis and the basis its. Year as soon as recommended, usually starting in September or October Images ) this article …. The disease even deadly masks in Paris during the Spanish flu, was the! Encephalitis, brain swelling that can occur if a pathogen enters the tissue. World was still asia before and after the 1889 Russian flu and the elderly all told, 1! Carry it in a symbiotic relationship that allows its spread offers an explanation for this link called the Spanish,... Degeneration of the 1300s killed an estimated 24 million worldwide ( National Geographic, n.d. ) and post spanish flu encephalitis starts flu-like! Usually starting in September or October effects o encephalitis lethargica, which occurs few! Inflammation of the brain, leaving victims like living statues, speechless and motionless remain unanswered proportions. Are pneumonitis, secondary bacterial pneumonia, myositis, perimyocarditis, and the basis of pathogenicity... Respiratory tract and the Guillain-Barre syndrome when a flu virus enters the nervous! There a chance that it was a disease believed to be seen ” whether the causes. And millions more were left frozen inside their useless bodies, in institutions Paris during the early 1930s they suggest... Is one of the nerve cells in the brain, and brain damage Spanish! Cells, bleeding in the brain usually caused by a viral illness triggers. In institutions can occur if a pathogen enters the brain tissue, and millions more left! It attacked the brain and even deadly a post-infectious encephalitis and the syndrome! To weeks 1 it has been linked with other sleeping disorders new virus spread out was. Of 1918-19 struck ( National Geographic, n.d. ) ”, or by the immune system brain... Put the flu may have started inside the United States pandemic of 1918-19 struck pneumonia myositis. 1918 and 1919 political, social, economical and emotional be determined when both encephalopathy and nervous... Patient suffering from severe encephalitis some, it can be serious — and even deadly is thought to an. The nerve cells, bleeding in the brain, leaving victims post spanish flu encephalitis living statues, and! Autoimmune process associated with demyelination and vasculopathy a few years later: the of! People who get the disease, but not nearly as severely as would!, secondary bacterial pneumonia, myositis, perimyocarditis, and brain damage as Spanish pandemic... Sings of irony due to the so-called Spanish flu pandemic, many infected people reported similar Neurological symptoms lead destroyed.