Encephalitis Lethargica:  The Mysterious Pandemic That's Been Forgotten

Encephalitis Lethargica: The Mysterious Pandemic That's Been Forgotten

From 3SchemeQueens by 3SchemeQueens

May 5, 2026 · 50 min · Season 3 · Episode 34

About this episode

The episode explores the lesser-known pandemic of Encephalitis Lethargica that occurred between 1916 and 1920, alongside the Spanish Flu.

Between 1918 and 1920, the Spanish Flu killed 50 million people worldwide. This pandemic, arrived on the heels of WW1, and between the two events, nearly 5% of the world’s population was killed. But there was another pandemic occurring, one that is less well known and less frequently talked about, that remains a mystery to this day. In the winter of 1916 in Europe, people were seeking medical attention for general malaise. At first, it looked like a mild case of the fl...

People in this episode

Host: 3SchemeQueens

Topics covered

  • pandemics
  • history
  • medical mystery
  • Spanish Flu
  • Encephalitis Lethargica

Keywords

  • Encephalitis Lethargica
  • Spanish Flu
  • pandemic
  • history
  • medical mystery

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Europe

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