8 Bizarre Psychological Disorders Affecting Modern Man
6. The Strawberries With Sugar Virus
So science fiction movies and international travel are off the cards but perhaps youd sooner stay at home with a bottle of wine and a TV guide anyway. In that case, be careful what you watch. In May 2006, over a dozen Portuguese schools reported an epidemic of what came to be known as the Morangos com Açúcar virus. A typical case consisted of a rash, dizziness and shortness of breath, with hundreds of students being affected. The unusual thing about this disease however, was that it was almost identical to a completely made-up illness that had plagued a school on an episode of a teen soap opera a few days prior. The name of the disease comes from the TV shows title, Morangos com Açúcar (Strawberries with Sugar), because all scientific evidence points to the fact that the entire event was nothing more than a case of mass hysteria brought about by the events of the soap. The children developed actual physiological symptoms simply because a fictional disease had afflicted some fictional students at a fictional school. Lets just hope that everyone on Eastenders can keep their ailments in check.
Peter Austin initially joined WhatCulture as an occasional contributor to our Film, Gaming and Science sections, but made the mistake of telling us that he'd been making videos in his bedroom for over a decade. Since then he's been a vital member of our YouTube team and routinely sets the standard for smart-casual wear in the office.
