Did Mozart die from a strep throat infection?

The early death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has fascinated people all over the world for over 200 years, with some believing he was poisoned by a rival, while others have suggested he died from kidney failure, Henoch-Schönlein purpura (a condition where blood vessels become inflamed), trichinosis (a parasite disease caused by eating raw or undercooked pork), and many other causes.

European researchers investigating records of deaths in Vienna around the time of Mozart's death at the age of 35 on 5 December 1791 suggest that the composer may have died from a streptococcal throat infection that led to a fatal kidney syndrome.

The study is the work of Richard HC Zegers from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands and colleagues Andreas Weigl from the University of Vienna in Austria and Andrew Steptoe from University College London in the UK.

For the study, Zegers and colleagues examined the official daily register of deaths in Vienna and compared it to what witnesses said at around the time of the composer's death.

They analyzed all deaths recorded in Vienna during the three months from November 1791 to January 1792 and then also during the same three months in 1790 to 1791 and 1792 to 1793.

According to eyewitness accounts at the time, Mozart's body was very swollen before he died, suggesting he had severe edema (swelling caused by excess fluid in bodily tissues).