Post 3: The Unsettling Laughing Sickness

Zombies are famous icons in the horror genre. I don’t think there’s anyone in the 21^st century who hasn’t heard the word zombie before. From black magic to animal diseases, there were many different causes why this infection started, one of which was something called Kuru.

Kuru is a rare degenerative disease that has affected only, mysteriously enough, the Fore tribe in Papua, New Guinea. According to the article "Kuru: The Laughing Sickness- The Oddest & Rarest Infectious Disease in The World" by Francesca Fiore, the main cause of this disease, which had been thoroughly researched by Australian doctors in 1957, was not because of the environmental toxins nor was it hereditary. Because of the unknown causes, and also because of the tribe’s lack of communication outside, they have thought this disease was because of witchcraft, or a curse placed on their family.

As stated in this article by Dennis O'Neil, it was not until the late 1950’s when American pediatrician Carleton Gajdusek came to try and solve the problem. It was discovered through the microscopic examination of dead Kuru victims, he discovered that the disease organism was carried through the bloodstream and was concentrated in the brain tissue.

When you look at the microscopic view of the brain tissues of Kuru and compare them to classic CJD (most commonly known as Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease) and Scrapie, it was clear enough for them to conclude that Kuru is caused by prions. And because of this, it has spread some light on what was the cause of this incurable disease; it was the Fore tribe’s unusual funeral ceremony: the consumption of dead relatives. Or most commonly called as cannibalism.

“They weren't,  for the most part, what we have come to think of as cannibals in Western culture. They didn't contract the disease from so-called headhunting. They became afflicted with Kuru from their bizarre funeral customs.”

To bring out stronger evidence, those afflicted with the disease are mostly women and children, who ate the less desirable parts of the body which includes the brain. Another factor, as the article states, is the women’s exposure to the deceased’s blood and tissues from food preparation, bringing a higher risk when they’re exposed on cuts and open sores.

Today, cannibalism in New Guinea is outlawed, but there are still those out there who are affected due to the disease’s long incubation period, some of which lasted up to 30 years. And because of this, it is now believed that the disease is completely extinct.

Although it is not the only culture-specific disease out there, Kuru is a very notable disease and has been a source of inspiration in some notable works.