A century ago, a mysterious illness swept across the globe, leaving its victims in a state of uncontrollable sleep. Known as “sleepy sickness,” this disease emerged in northern France in 1916 and quickly spread to India, Central America, North America, and Europe. Unlike regular tiredness, those afflicted with sleepy sickness would fall into deep, prolonged slumber and sometimes not wake up for weeks or even months. Tragically, 30 to 40% of those infected with the illness died, mostly from respiratory failure.
The epidemic of sleepy sickness largely disappeared by 1930, but the cause of the disease and how it spread remain unknown. Today, encephalitis lethargica is the official name for this rare disease without a known cause. Some researchers suspect that it may be linked to a virus, but there has been no pandemic of encephalitis lethargica since 1930.
Those who survive encephalitis lethargica may develop Parkinson’s disease later on in life. Treatment options vary depending on the individual’s condition and may involve using medications like levodopa to manage symptoms. The progression of the disease can also vary based on any complications or other disorders that the person may have.
One woman who lived through the outbreak of sleepy sickness described her experience as feeling like she was “being buried in a pit as deep as the center of the Earth.” Eleanore Carey struggled to wake up from her deep slumber and found it physically impossible to do so despite the efforts of those around her. Her terrifying ordeal was shared by many during that time period.
