What disease made people dance until they died?

dancing plague of 1518
dancing plague of 1518, event in which hundreds of citizens of Strasbourg (then a free city within the Holy Roman Empire, now in France) danced uncontrollably and apparently unwillingly for days on end; the mania lasted for about two months before ending as mysteriously as it began.

Did ergot cause the dancing plague?

1530 — Source. Several modern historians have argued that the dancing plagues of mediaeval Europe were caused by ergot, a mind-altering mould found on the stalks of damp rye, which can cause twitching, jerking, and hallucinations — a condition known as St Anthony’s Fire.

Does the dancing disease still exist?

Dancing mania appears to have completely died out by the mid-17th century. According to John Waller, although numerous incidents were recorded, the best documented cases are the outbreaks of 1374 and 1518, for which there is abundant contemporary evidence.

What is dancing fever?

Dance Fever was an American musical variety series that aired weekly in syndication from January 1979 to September 1987.

Is St Vitus dance contagious?

Vitus’ Dance or the African laughing outbreak. “It’s unusual to find it in such a concentrated form, but it’s easy to find contagion and mimicry every day,” Cacioppo says. “Even babies show it.”

What is hot blood dancing plague?

The Dancing Plague of 1518 The most famous outbreak of Dancing Plague occurred in July 1518 in Strasbourg, France when a woman named Frau Troffea began dancing in the street. She kept on dancing night and day, and within four days, she was accompanied by 33 others. Within a month there were 400 dancers.

How many dancing plagues were there?

It is unlikely to be a coincidence, therefore, that the 1374 dancing plague spread in the areas most savagely hit earlier in the year by the most devastating deluge of the 14th century.

How long did St Vitus dance last?

Vitus’ Dance, back in 1374, groups of people — sometimes thousands at a time — started dancing uncontrollably. It continued for days, and in some cases, weeks and months. Some people reportedly danced until they collapsed from exhaustion or even death, while others suffered heart attacks and broken bones.