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“Michael Jordan has a virus named after him called the Salmonella MJordan!”: When a doctor named a virulent strain of Salmonella after the Bulls legend

Jeet Pukhrambam
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Michael Jordan's influence has somehow reached the world of virology. In 1993, a virologist named a strain after him, the Salmonella MJordan

Michael Jordan has somehow reached the world of virology. In 1993, a virologist named a strain after him, the Salmonella MJordan. 

Michael Jordan and his influence on the world cannot be understated. The most popular sneaker in the world is a basketball shoe. He helped build the Nike Brand to what it is today. A franchise and a city are all recognizable because of MJ.

He is very fabric of the NBA’s global reach. Through his merits, status, and personality has basketball become a global sport. Jordan was talismanic not just for his team but for the NBA too.

So it is no surprise to learn that he has a virus named after him. Yes, a virus. The fun fact is this virus was named long before Jordan had his infamous flu game and unlike the flu, this one will punish you.

Also read: “Michael Jordan lost and scored only 16 points when he debuted the Air Jordan 1s”: When the Chicago Bulls rookie’s signature shoe launch was a disaster

How Dr. Stanford Shulman loved Michael Jordan so much that he named a virus after him

Devotion and love can be showcased in different ways. In this case, a doctor showed his affection for MJ by naming a rather dangerous virus after him.

In the winter of 1992, Dr. Stanford Shulman found a strain of salmonella that was undiscovered. It causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, and severe headaches.

He confirmed that this was undiscovered with the Center for Diseases Control in Atlanta and then proceeded to file the name “Salmonella MJordan”!

He declared this tribute publically when MJ retired for the first time in 1993. Quite a weird tribute if you ask us.

Also read: “Having $1 billion just means people can call and ask me for money”: Michael Jordan dispassionately broke down what it meant to be a billionaire

    About the author

    Jeet Pukhrambam

    Jeet Pukhrambam

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    Jeet Pukhrambam is The SportsRush's Lead Editor for Basketball. After freelancing for five years as an independent writer, Jeet created thousands of blog posts and articles. He now covers intriguing news reports and throwback stories on all things NBA. His interest in NBA started with the ascendancy of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2016-17 season. Since then, Jeet has managed to coalesce his knowledge of the game and his writing to create pieces that are reflective of the current state of the league. Now, he ensures that The SportsRush produces the highest quality of writing. In his free time, he enjoys playing football, cooking, traveling, and dancing to techno. Jeet takes pride in his critical thinking, music playlists, and his love for spaghetti.

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