What do you call a panic that causes an imagined illness to spread over a population? Mass hysteria.
THE SWEET SMELL OF PANIC
In 2009 a worker sprayed herself with perfume at the Bank of America corporate office in Fort Worth, Texas. Apparently, two people nearby were allergic to it, reported feeling dizzy, and went home. Soon after, a public-address announcement instructed that any worker who was also feeling dizzy should go outside for some fresh air. Within a few hours, more than 140 people reported feeling ill, with symptoms including dizziness, shortness of breath, and hallucinations—the symptoms of carbon-monoxide poisoning. As the news spread throughout the building, more than 30 people rushed to the hospital, while others were treated at the scene. The fire department sent in a hazardous materials unit, but they never detected any carbon monoxide—only perfume.
Morangos com Açúcar is a popular Portuguese soap opera. On a May 2006 episode, all of the characters were stricken with a mysterious disease whose symptoms included dizziness, difficulty breathing, and a rash. A few days later, more than 300 students at 14 high schools throughout Portugal suddenly came down with the exact same symptoms. All of the kids quickly recovered, and the federal health department dismissed the outbreak as mass hysteria.
In 1999 large quantities of animal feed in Belgium were found to be tainted with the poisonous compound dioxin. The reports set off fears over contamination of the food supply, although scientists reassured the public that it was “unlikely” to be a threat to humans. A few weeks later, 26 children at a Belgian school were hospitalized with severe fatigue and upset stomachs after having consumed Coca-Cola. Soon, hundreds of people claimed that they’d felt sick after drinking Coke, and they blamed dioxin. The Belgian Health Council briefly banned the sale of Coca-Cola, but never found dioxin in any samples. The scare was attributed to mass hysteria.
No joke: Studies show that 80% of adult laughter is unconnected to any joke or funny situation.