4 Unusual Epidemics That Had Nothing To Do With Viruses

From a dancing epidemic in the Middle Ages to the New York City teen tics in 2011, these epidemics are unusual.

By Avery Hurt
Oct 7, 2022 4:00 PMOct 7, 2022 3:58 PM
Strange epidemic
(Credit: Tero Vesalainen/Shutterstock)

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You’ve heard of epidemics – an infectious disease that takes over a specific region – like smallpox, measles and polio. But have you heard of a dancing epidemic? Or a laughing epidemic? While they might seem odd, these epidemics did happen in history.

If you think things couldn’t get any weirder, take a look at these four epidemics of truly strange behavior that erupted in the past.

1. Dancing ’til You Drop

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