Sweating sickness

Sweating sickness, also known as "English sweating sickness" or "English sweate" (Latin:sudor anglicus), was a mysterious and highly contagious disease that struck England, and later continental Europe, in a series of epidemics beginning in 1485. The last outbreak occurred in 1551, after which the disease apparently vanished. The onset of symptoms was dramatic and sudden, with death often occurring within hours. Though its cause remains unknown, it has been suggested that an unknown species of hantavirus was responsible for the outbreak.