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1937 Erstfeld outbreak
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In July 1937, 130 of 930 soldiers stationed in the small town of Erstfeld, [[Switzerland]] became ill with what the time was thought to be "[[Abortive poliomyelitis]]."<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal | last = Parish | first = JG | date = 1978 | title = Early outbreaks of 'epidemic neuromyasthenia' | url = https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/370810 | journal = Postgraduate Medical Journal | volume = 54 | pages = 711-7|via=}}</ref> == Onset == Four days after training commenced the troops were all wet through on a field exercise. Two days later, a case of [[poliomyelitis]] occurred among them, this case was at once diagnosed and removed to hospital. This was followed within twelve days by six cases with [[meningeal]] and [[myelitic]] symptoms, 16 purely meningeal cases and 108 with symptoms involving inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. The incubation period was 4-7 days.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal | last = Stahel | first = H | date = July 1937 | title = An Epidemie of Poliomyelitis among Swiss Troops at Erstfeld from July 18 to 30, 1937, with a Large Number of Abortive Cases |url =https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/19382701151 | journal = Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift | volume = 68 | pages = 86-91|via=}}</ref> == Symptoms == Of the 130 cases, 83 percent had systemic symptoms and were regarded as abortive poliomyelitis<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />; 12% had meningeal involvement (involvement of the lining of the brain and spinal cord); and 5% developed encephalomyelitis with [[paresis]] ([[muscle weakness]] caused by nerve damage or disease or partial paralysis).<ref name=":0" /> Symptoms<ref name=":0" /> included: * Sweating * Sensitivity to touch, pain, or other sensory stimuli * Diminished muscle tone was noted in those who complained of sharp pain in their legs. == Findings == The cerebrospinal fluid was normal.<ref name=":0" /> == Epidemiology == This outbreak was notable for its high attack rate: 14% of soldiers were affected, as compared to 1.3% for a confirmed poliomyelitis outbreak in 1936.<ref name=":1" /> (This was a common feature of [[epidemic myalgic encephalomyelitis]] that distinguished it from polio outbreaks.) The troops had been recruited in Zurich, where a case of the disease was reported on July 11th. The epidemic did not spread to any citizens of the town. A similar epidemic was recorded in September, 1937, less than three months later, in the women's section of a [[1937 St. Gallen outbreak | St. Gallen hospital]], Switzerland, less than 200 km or 125 miles away from Erstfeld.<ref name=":0" /> == Prognosis == The meningeal and upper respiratory forms cleared up in 2-5 days and all cases recovered within five weeks. There were no deaths and no residual paralysis.<ref name=":1" /> ==See also== * [[1937 St. Gallen outbreak]] * [[1939 Degersheim outbreak]] *[[Epidemic myalgic encephalomyelitis]] *[[List of myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome outbreaks]] ==Learn more== ==References== {{Reflist}} [[Category:Outbreaks]] [[Category:Outbreaks in the 1930s]] [[Category:Outbreaks in Switzerland]] [[Category:History]]
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