The mysterious dancing epidemic of 1518 – With thanks to Discover Magazine
When I was a child my Gran would often complain that I fidgeted too much and that I was perhaps a victim of St Vitus Dance. My juvenile mind took this to be some kind of bogey-disease epidemic that could strike anyone at any time. Later I would be reminded of the term when listening to Black Sabbath’s Vol4 album and it became probably my first proper personal research project.
Initially, and after some reasoning, I became sure that it was a medieval affliction and wouldn’t necessarily be around today but I soon discovered that cases do present from time to time these days and, subsequently, the curse of St Vitus – patron saint of dancers – has become Sydenham’s Chorea (Chorea refers to any kind of persistent involuntary movement).
One thing to note is that around 80% of patients presenting with SC are children between the age of 7 and 11 and it is generally not present in adults. The cause of the affliction is a streptococcal infection (similar to that which goes on to be a factor in rheumatoid arthritis) and can be treated by eradicating the infection.
So, what caused these adults to dance themselves to death? We may never truly know but I hope you find the article interesting.
Mr Kennedy's Commonplace Book 