Die Geschichte des Schlesischen Schlammfiebers

The history of Silesian slime fever Slime fever is a bacterial infection that particularly affected agricultural workers in Silesia between 1880 and 1940. The town of Ratibor (Racibórz in Polish) in Upper Silesia was a centre of the outbreaks. It was particularly hard hit by the flood disasters on the Oder in 1891, 1926 and 1939. Large outbreaks also occurred on a regular basis in Bavaria, where the disease was known as harvest fever or field fever. Leptospira were clearly identified as pathogens for all manifestations in 1927. Further research showed that mice and rats were the main cause of the spread of bacteria. Apart from harvest helpers, slime fever primarily affected canal workers in towns or swimmers. Leptospirosis is a recognised occupational disease in agriculture today and is usually treated with antibiotics. Keywords: leptospirosis – spirochetes – slime fever – Silesia – Ratibor – history