A laughing epidemic made 14 schools close in East Africa. In 1962, a laughter epidemic broke out in Tanganyika (now known as Tanzania). It started with three young girls and the uncontrollable laughter spread to neighboring villages. Symptoms included crying, fainting, rashes, and pain. All in all, it made 14 schools close.
100 Mind-Blowing Fainting Facts
A laughing epidemic made 14 schools close down in Tanzania. In 1962, a laughing epidemic broke out in Tanganyika (now Tanzania). What initially started with a few school girls turned into almost a year-long mass hysteria across villages. Symptoms of the laughing epidemic included crying, fainting, rashes, and pain. Towards the end of the epidemic, 14 schools had already closed.