Von Economo's Encephalitis (VEE) is an enigmatic disease shrouded by time and early 20th century scientific immaturity . According to Constantin von Economo the disease killed approximately 1/3 of the infected; 1/3 recovered and 1/3 had permanent neurological symptoms including parkinsonism. Many pathogens have been proposed to be the cause of VEE with an emphasis on viral etiology and the influenza virus. From 1929 to 1940 a comparative therapeutic vaccine trial featured 2 possible causes of the disease: the virus herpes simplex and the bacterium streptococcus viridians. All studies of the disease have been inconclusive with no single cause being identified. When creating my Parkinson's disease documentary I slotted a VEE video but concluded the subject was too large and complicated for a single chapter, hence this 4 part segment.
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