Influenza Pandemic of 1918 By Alan Rosas Martha
Influenza Pandemic of 1918 By Alan Rosas & Martha Lopez Period 3 5/12/16
What Is It? influenza caused by an influenza virus of type A, in particular that of the pandemic that began in 1918. - This disease is a type A influenza virus which is the worst. The influenza pandemic of 1918 -1919 killed more people in the Great War, known today as WWI, at somewhere between 20 and 40 million people. Known as "Spanish Flu" or "La Grippe" The 1918 flu was first observed in Europe, the U. S. and parts of Asia before swiftly spreading around the world. - Despite the fact that the 1918 flu wasn’t isolated to one place, it became known around the world as the Spanish flu, as Spain was one of the earliest
General Information It’s an unusually severe and deadly strain of avian influenza, a viral infectious disease Unlike earlier pandemics and seasonal flu outbreaks, the 1918 pandemic flu saw high mortality rates among healthy adults. the influenza virus had invaded their lungs and caused pneumonia. - At the time, there were no effective drugs or vaccines to treat this killer flu strain or prevent its spread. (The first licensed flu vaccine appeared in America in the 1940 s) Almost 90 years later, in 2008, researchers announced they’d discovered what made the 1918 flu so deadly: A group of three genes enabled the virus to weaken a victim’s bronchial tubes and lungs and clear the way for bacterial
Influenza Statistics The flu was most deadly for people ages 20 to 50. People who caught the Spanish Flu but did not die from it often died from complications caused by bacteria, such as pneumonia. During the 1918 pandemic: Approximately 20% to 40% of the worldwide population became ill. An estimated 50 million people died.
Influenza: Causes & Preventions ★ Access to travel through air in droplets by: ➔ Coughing, sneezing, or talking ★ It can be transferred by picking up objects that contain the virus & then it transfers to your eyes, nose, or mouth ★ People with weaker immune systems might be contagious for a longer time. ★ One of the aspects of prevention were to utilize disinfection & sterilization techniques: ➔ In small hospitals bedding & rooms were occasionally disinfected with antiseptic solutions in order to kill any virus that permeated the caretakers. ➔ Gauze masks were used by healthcare workers to prevent infectious droplets of influenza that are diffused by sneezing, coughing, or speaking which contaminates them from hand to mouth.
Increase in mortality rates(death s) in Spain by Influenza
Influenza victims crowd into a hospital near Fort Riley, Kan. , during the 1918 Spanish flu Pandemic.
Symptoms of influenza, with fever and cough the most common symptoms. -Fever -chills -itchiness -cough -congestion -headache -sore throat ● starting about 18 -72 hours after exposure and u become contagious starting just around onset of symptoms or a bit before and continue for about 5 -10 days.
An electron micrograph showing recreated 1918 influenza virions.
https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=rb. Yw. NOc. Kqqc
- Slides: 10