Once declared eliminated. Now making a comeback.
In this episode of MicroMysteries, we dive into the story of measles - one of the most contagious viruses ever known. From its ancient origins in the Persian Empire to its deadly return across Europe today, we unravel how this virus works, how it tricks your immune system, and why it’s reemerging now.
👁️🗨️ Inside this episode:
📜 The 9th-century diagnosis that mistook measles for smallpox
🩸 Wild historical “treatments” including red cloth and mercury
🧠 What is immune amnesia and why it matters
📊 Why Europe saw a 45x spike in cases in just one year
💉 And how close we really came to wiping it out
This marks the beginning of Season 1 – Part 2 as we move from bacterial killers to viral threats 🔬
Next up: the poxes - smallpox and chickenpox. Two viruses. One eradicated. One still hiding in your nerves.
🎧 Hit play, subscribe, and stay curious. Because some microbes don’t stay in history books.