The laugh epidemic, the disease that closed 14 schools

The laughter epidemic in Tanganyika in 1962 occurred when mass hysteria broke out, believed to have begun near the village of Kashasha, on the western coast of Lake Victoria, on January 30th.

Symptoms that have been shown to the sick except for laughter have also been painful, fainting, swelling, respiratory problems, sores, crying attacks, crying without control.

The laugh epidemic has begun at the girls school conducted by missionaries

Three girls started laughing, but soon it spread to students throughout the entire school, more accurately to 95 of 159 students aged 12 to 18.

Symptoms in the infected have lasted from several hours to 16 days

With laughter, the teachers of that school also infected them, but they said that the participants could not concentrate on lessons that were soon to be interrupted, but the school was closed.

After students have been released home, the epidemic has spread to Nshamba, a village in which most students have lived. The village laughing attacks then hit 217 people, most students and young adults.

School was again opened in May that same year, but because of this epidemic again it was closed in June. The laugh epidemic then spread to the other village of Ramashinye. There have been 48 girls, broadcast news.

However, there was no end to the epidemic, laughter did spread to other parts of Tanganyika, now part of the African state of Tanzania. About eight months later this phenomenon has begun to die down. Because of this epidemic, 14 schools have been closed and nearly 1,000 people have been attacked.