Mississippi has its fair share of urban legends. However, the strangest is the Mercritis Outbreak of the 1950s. Generations of local lore contend that Mercritis was an infectious disease that, among other things, transformed women into homicidal maniacs. Like any other urban legend, there’s no proof the outbreak ever occurred, but that doesn’t make the unusual tale any less intriguing. Take a look:

If you look up "Mercritis" online, you won’t find much about it.
Jared Goralnick/Flickr
However, if you’re from Mississippi, you’ve probably heard older relatives mention it.
The legend states that men could get Mercritis by ingesting large amounts of lead from paint or some other source.
Thester11/Wikimedia
Ingesting lead paint? Let's leave that decorating to the many majestic homes and other historical structures found throughout the state!
The disease would then cause him to secrete a chemical that, in turn, caused nearby women to "descend into a homicidal rage."
Tom Simpsom/Flickr
There have been some creepy legends about women in Mississippi but this one seems particularly cruel.
Women that were usually loving and friendly would instantly become irrational and erratic.
Patrick Q/Flickr

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Allegedly, the first case of Mericritis occurred in Europe.
Patrick Q/Flickr
There it supposedly began when a local man was chased by a dozen women through his seaside village. So just how did this disease get to Mississippi towns?
In a desperate attempt to evade them, he jumped into the water with temperatures well below freezing.
Craig Upshaw/Flickr
Without hesitation or regard for their own safety, the women followed. It’s said that he and all of the female attackers drowned in the icy waters.
By the 1950s, the frightening disease made its way to a small town in Mississippi.
Tim Fuller/Flickr
While the specific small Mississippi town isn’t named, the Mercritis outbreak supposedly occurred after several men ingested large amounts of lead.
Not long after the men consumed the lead, local women wreaked havoc on the town.
cyphunk/Flickr
They swept through the streets with one mission – to kill every man they could find.
Though the Mercritis Outbreak is deemed an urban legend, many believe it’s much more than that.
Subconsci Productions/Flickr
One theory is that the medical community covered it up, since they couldn’t come up with a cure or explanation for the mysterious illness. Whether it was true or simply legend, it seems like the Mercritis incident will just remain as one of those unsolved Mississippi mysteries.

So, were you aware of this urban legend? Have you ever heard relatives talking about it? Tell us in the comments section.

Read about the state’s other urban legends in “These 8 Urban Legends In Mississippi Will Keep You Awake At Night.“

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