Cluster Outbreaks
Lyndonville, NY
From the 1930’s to the 1980’s, many cluster outbreaks of a condition that eventually became known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) were reported. Whether clusters remain a factor in M.E. has yet to be studied.
Here is a list of some of the early epidemic spots of illness consistent with the description of M.E., with the names used to describe them at the time.
1934 Los Angeles County Hospital
Atypical poliomyelitis.
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1936 Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin – St. Agnes Convent
Encephalitis.
1937 Erstfeld, Switzerland
Abortive poliomyelitis among 130 soldiers.
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1937 St. Gallen, Switzerland – Frohburg Hospital
Abortive poliomyelitis among 28 staff members and patients.
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1939 Middlesex, England – Harefield Sanatorium
Persistent myalgia.
1939 Degersheim, Switzerland
Abortive poliomyelitis among 73 soldiers.
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1945 Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Epidemic pleurodynia
1946 Iceland
Disease resembling poliomyelitis with the character of Akureyri disease.
1948 Iceland, North Coast towns
Epidemic simulating poliomyelitis.
1949 Adelaide, South Australia
A disease resembling poliomyelitis.
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1950 Louisville, Kentucky — St. Joseph’s Infirmary
Outbreak in nurses’ training school described as “epidemic neuromyasthenia.”
1950 Upper State New York
Outbreak resembling the Iceland disease, simulating acute anterior poliomyelitis.
1952 London, England – Middlesex Hospital Nurses’ Home
Encephalomyelitis associated with poliomyelitis virus.
1952 Copenhagen, Denmark
Epidemic myositis.
1952 Lakeland, Florida
Epidemic neuromyasthenia.
1953 Coventry and District, England
An illness resembling poliomyelitis observed in nurses.
1953 Rockville, Maryland – Chestnut Lodge Hospital
Poliomyelitis-like epidemic neuromyasthenia among student nurses.
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1953 Jutland, Denmark
Epidemic encephalitis with vertigo.
1954 Tallahassee, Florida
“A new clinical entity?”
1954 Seward, Alaska
Benign myalgic encephalomyelitis (Iceland disease).
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1954 Berlin, Germany – British army
Further outbreak of a disease resembling poliomyelitis.
1954 Liverpool, England
Outbreak among medical and nursing staff in a local hospital.
1955 Dalston, Cumbria, England
Epidemic and sporadic outbreak of an unusual disease.
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1955 London, England – Royal Free Hospital
Benign myalgic encephalomyelitis.
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1955 Perth, Australia
Virus epidemic in waves.
1955 Gilfac Goch, Wales
Benign myalgic encephalomyelitis.
1955 Durban City, South Africa – Addington Hospital
Outbreak among nurses of “Durban mystery disease.”
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1955 Segbwema, Sierra Leone
Outbreak of encephalomyelitis.
1955 Patreksfjorour and Porshofn, Iceland
Unusual response to polio vaccine.
1955 Northwest London, England – nurses’ residential home
Acute Infective encephalomyelitis simulating poliomyelitis.
1956 Ridgefield, Connecticut
Epidemic neuromyasthenia.
1956 Punta Gorda, Florida
Outbreak of epidemic neuromyasthenia.
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1956 Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, England
Lymphocytic meningoencephalitis with myalgia and rash.
1956 Pittsfield and Williamstown, Massachusetts
Benign myalgic encephalomyelitis.
1956 Coventry, England
Epidemic malaise, benign myalgic encephalomyelitis.
1957 Brighton, South Australia
Cocksakie Echo virus meningitis, epidemic myalgic encephalomyelitis.
1958 Athens, Greece – nurses’ school
Outbreak of benign myalgic encephalomyelitis with periostitis and arthopathy noted.
1958 Southwest London, England
Reports of sporadic cases of myalgic encephalomyelitis.
1959 Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
Outbreak of benign myalgic encephalomyelitis.
1961 Basel, Switzerland
Sporadic cases of benign myalgic encephalomyelitis.
1961 New York State
Outbreak of epidemic neuromyasthenia in a convent.
1964 Northwest London, England
Epidemic malaise, epidemic neuromyasthenia.
1964 Franklin, Kentucky
Outbreak of neuromyasthenia in a factory.
1965 Galveston, Texas
Epidemic neuromyasthenia variant.
1967 Edinburgh, Scotland
Sporadic cases resembling benign myalgic encephalomyelitis.
1968 Fraidek, Lebanon
Benign myalgic encephalomyelitis.
1969 Brooklyn, New York – State University of New York Downstate Medical Center
Epidemic neuromyasthenia, unidentified symptom complex.
1970 Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
Epidemic neuromyasthenia.
1970 London, England – Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children
Outbreak of neuromyasthenia among nurses.
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1975 Sacramento, California – Mercy San Juan Hospital
Infectious venulitis, epidemic phelobodynia.
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1976 Southwest Ireland
Epidemic neuromyasthenia, benign myalgic encephalomyelitis.
1977 Dallas – Fort Worth, Texas
Epidemic neuromyasthenia.
1979 Southampton, England
Myalgic encephalomyelitis.
1980 West Kilbridge, Ayrshire, Scotland
Epidemic myalgic encephalomyelitis.
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1980 Helensburgh, Scotland
Cocksackie B outbreak in a private practice.
1980 San Francisco, California
Epidemic persistent flu-like illness.
1981 Stirlingshire, Scotland
Sporadic myalgic encephalomyelitis.
1981 Gunnedah, NSW, Australia
Outbreak linked with pesticides.
1983 Los Angeles, California
Initial cases of an unknown, chronic symptom complex involving profound “fatigue.”
1984 West Otago and Tapanui, Dunedin and Hamilton, New Zealand
Myalgic encephalomyelitis.
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1984 Lake Tahoe-Truckee area of California/Nevada
Start of a yearlong epidemic involving over 160 cases of chronic illness eventually characterized as chronic fatigue syndrome.
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1984 Yerington, Nevada
Epidemic of about 100 cases on a Native American reservation, eventually characterized as chronic fatigue syndrome.
1984 Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Epidemic among members of North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, eventually characterized as chronic fatigue syndrome.
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1984 Montreal, Quebec-Ontario, Canada
More than 500 cases documented and eventually characterized as chronic fatigue syndrome.
1985 Lyndonville, New York
Epidemic among children eventually characterized as chronic fatigue syndrome.
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1986 Placerville, California
Epidemic eventually characterized as chronic fatigue syndrome.
1986 Sonora, California
Epidemic of 35 children and adults, mostly associated with Columbia Community College, eventually characterized as chronic fatigue syndrome.
1988 Narrabeen, NSW, Australia
Outbreak reported.
1989 Roseville, California
Outbreak of eleven cases of chronic fatigue syndrome among staff at Rosedale Hospital.
1990 Elk Grove, California
Outbreak among teachers and students at a high school.
1990 Mohave Valley Region, Arizona
Over 100 people became ill with a “multi-system stealth virus infection with encephalopathy.”
1990 Sacramento, California
An outbreak of “chronic fatigue syndrome” in the Twin Towers office building.
Read the ME-pedia Overview Article
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