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Updated: Jun 29, 2026
14:56
Remote Laboratory Management: Respiratory Virus Diagnostics
Published on: April 6, 2019
Early perceptions of an epidemic.
1Department of History and Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine, SOPHI, University of Sydney, A14-Quadrangle, NSW 2006, Australia. wanderson@usyd.edu.au
Summary
Early observers of the Fore people noted sorcery and cannibalism, but soon identified a fatal neurological condition, kuru, as a major affliction, particularly among women and children.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Medical Anthropology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Early anthropological and medical observations of the Fore people in the 1950s.
- Initial focus on cultural practices like sorcery accusations and cannibalism.
Observation:
- Discovery of a prevalent and fatal neurological disorder, known as kuru, affecting the Fore population.
- Kuru disproportionately impacted women and children within the Fore community.
Findings:
- Fore people attributed kuru to sorcery, reflecting cultural beliefs.
- Anthropological theories suggested psychosomatic origins for kuru.
- Medical professionals investigated kuru as a potential novel form of encephalitis.
Implications:
- Highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in understanding disease etiology.
- Underscoring the need to consider cultural context in medical research.
- Paving the way for further investigation into the transmission and cause of kuru.
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