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Man voluntarily drank bacteria-laced smoothie that gave him severe diarrhoea for 'sake of science'

When you are nursing an upset stomach, you are advised to stay off dairy products, spicy food, and edibles that are not easily digestible. That's pretty much how everybody deals with diarrhoea. Everybody except Jake Eberts. Most people would stay off drinks and food that can make their stomach condition even worse. But Eberts voluntarily drank a shot glass filled with a bacteria-laced smoothie that he knew would give him a life-threatening case of diarrhoea.

TN Viral Desk

Updated May 2, 2022, 08:11 IST

Man voluntarily drank smoothie that gave him diarrhoea for 'sake of science'

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

The 26-year-old had the drink while participating in a 11-day vaccine trial at the University of Maryland, where 16 healthy adults were given the bacteria-laced smoothie.
They were told beforehand that the drink would most certainly give them a bad stomach upset experience.
Why were the trials carried out? Because there is still no vaccine against the bacteria shigella, the second leading cause of death by diarrhoea worldwide and there is no vaccine against it.

When you are nursing an upset stomach, you are advised to stay off dairy products, spicy food, and edibles that are not easily digestible.

That's pretty much how everybody deals with diarrhoea. Everybody except Jake Eberts.

Most people would stay off drinks and food that can make their stomach condition even worse. But Eberts voluntarily drank a shot glass filled with a bacteria-laced smoothie that he knew would give him a life-threatening case of diarrhoea.

The 26-year-old had the drink while participating in a 11-day vaccine trial at the University of Maryland, where 16 healthy adults were given the bacteria-laced smoothie.

They were told beforehand that the drink would most certainly give them a bad stomach upset experience.

Despite knowing the effects, Jack went forward with the trial for the sake of science.

Jack said the drink gave him the 'the worst eight hours' of his life. But it was something he would do again if it helped researchers with their work.

Did he do it for free? Of course not. There was an incentive for Jack and all the other people who participated in the 11-day trial. According to reports, each of them was paid $7,000.

Jack posted updates about his condition on his Twitter account.

He wrote in a post that all participants received two injections, one each in February and March, before the inpatient stay.

"I'm not totally recovered yet. The antibiotics helped tremendously and my fever is gone, but I am still producing a French onion soup from hell every time I go to the bathroom. I'll spare you all an image, hopefully that metaphor suffices," he tweeted on April 10.

"I don't want to make myself out to be Mother Teresa here - would not have done this for free. It's a big ask to ask someone to get dysentery," Jack told Insider.

Why were the trials carried out?

Because there is still no vaccine against the bacteria shigella, the second leading cause of death by diarrhoea worldwide and there is no vaccine against it.

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