Essay

Pont-Saint-Esprit Poisoning Outbreak of 1951

The unsolved 1951 Pont-Saint-Esprit outbreak, ergot theories, poisoning claims, CIA rumors, and why retrospective diagnosis stays hard.

Indexed essay July 5, 2025 By Devin Teichrow scienceHistoryCIAepidemiology

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Pont-Saint-Esprit outbreak

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By Devin Teichrow. Published July 5, 2025.

Overview

The unsolved 1951 Pont-Saint-Esprit outbreak, ergot theories, poisoning claims, CIA rumors, and why retrospective diagnosis stays hard.

In August of 1951, something toxic ripped through the town of Pont-Saint-Esprit in southern France.

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