Sweating sickness caused deadly epidemics in England and Europe between 1485 and 1551, with unknown causes and a propensity to affect the wealthy. The last outbreak occurred in 1551, and proposed causes include relapsing fever, chronic fatigue syndrome, and hantavirus.
Sweating sickness, or English sweat, caused a series of epidemics that initially struck England and then spread through Europe between 1485 and 1551. It is an extremely deadly disease in which an affected person exhibits symptoms sharply and dramatically, with death within hours. Sweating sickness stands out in history because it had a propensity to affect the wealthy and is one of the infectious diseases with an unknown cause. The search for its cause is hampered by a lack of documents and the fact that its last outbreak occurred in the 16th century.
The first outbreak of sweating sickness occurred at the end of the Wars of the Roses. On 28 August 1485, a few days after Henry VII entered London, the first epidemic broke out. It has been speculated that the causative agent may have entered England through the French mercenaries who helped Henry VII ascend the English throne. A possible explanation for why the French did not suffer from this disease early is immunity to the causative agent. The British were not immune, so the disease caused a high death rate.
The second epidemic is believed to have occurred in 1492, when the Annals of Ulster record it causing the death of James Fleming, the Baron of Slane. Cases of sweating sickness were reported in 1502, 1507 and 1517, years which are now included in the third epidemic. A fourth epidemic was recorded in 1528 and spread through England and much of continental Europe, including Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Belgium and the Netherlands. The course of the disease was usually short and never lasted more than two weeks.
The last outbreak occurred in 1551 which was recorded by John Kaye who was then president of the Royal College of Physicians. Kaye’s narration has contributed greatly to the elucidation of sweating sickness symptoms. The onset of the disease is very sudden and usually accompanied by a sense of apprehension. This is followed by the cold phase which can last from 30 minutes to three hours and is characterized by chills which can become violent. The affected person becomes dizzy and suffers from headaches and pains in various parts of the body, including the neck, shoulders and limbs.
Next, the person experiences a phase of sweating and heat, followed by delirium, headache, rapid urges, and intense thirst. These are accompanied by symptoms of palpitations and chest pain. In the advanced stage of general prostration, there is a collapse or an overwhelming tendency to sleep. As a result, death follows.
Proposed causes of this disease include relapsing fever, which is spread by lice and ticks and often occurs during the summer, a feature which coincides with that of sweating sickness. Relapsing fever, however, is usually associated with a black scab on the tick bite, which is not found in English sweat. Other proposed causes are chronic fatigue syndrome and hantavirus.
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