The story
Named for Montezuma or Moctezuma II (c. 1466 – 1520), the last Aztec ruler before the empire was conquered by the Spanish. The condition is seen as “retribution” for the massacres and enslavement of the Aztec people by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés on August 13, 1521.
First known use, by meaning
- 1962 Diarrhea experienced by tourists after drinking water or eating food in Mexico as a result of a microorganism to which native Mexicans are immune.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.