THE 1918 SPANISH FLU Can a flu epidemic

THE 1918 SPANISH FLU Can a flu epidemic ever happen again? ? ?

I had a little bird, Its name was Enza, I opened the window, And in-flew-enza. American Skipping Rhyme (circa 1918. )

First: Watch the 1918 Flu Epidemic

Life in the 1918’s Snapshot of the World: • In 1918, Americans had more money and more leisure time than any previous generations • Popular activates included roller skating rinks, movies, dance halls, pool halls, amusement parks, saloons.

Life in the 1918’s The Nation's Health • If you had lived in the early twentieth century, your life expectancy would have been much shorter than it is today. • In 1918, life expectancy for men was only 53 years. • Women’s life expectancy was 54

Life in the 1918’s Seeking Medical Care • If you became sick in nineteenth-century America, you might consult a doctor, a druggist, a midwife, a folk healer, a nurse or even your neighbor. • Most of these practitioners would visit you in your home.

All of this contributed to one of the worst Epidemics in History!!!

The 1918 flu pandemic, commonly referred to as the Spanish flu, was an influenza pandemic that spread to nearly every part of the world.

It was caused by an unusually virulent and deadly influenza virus strain called H 1 N 1. Historical data is inadequate in identifying the geographic origin of the virus.

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Most of its victims were healthy young adults, in contrast to most influenza outbreaks which predominantly affect juvenile, elderly, or otherwise weakened immune-system patients.

The pandemic lasted from March 1918 to June 1920, spreading even to the Arctic and remote Pacific Islands.

It is estimated that anywhere from 20 to 100 million people were KILLED worldwide. The pandemic is estimated to have affected up to one billion people, half the world’s population at the time.

The Allies of WW I came to call it the Spanish flu, primarily because the pandemic received greater press attention after it moved from France into Spain in November 1918. Spain was neutral during WWI, therefore, the press was not censured as in other warring countries.

• Modern scientists have used tissue samples from frozen victims to reproduce the virus for study. • We discovered that the virus kills by a overreaction of the body’s immune system).

Therefore, the strong immune systems of young adults ravaged the body, whereas the weaker immune systems of children and middle-aged adults caused fewer deaths.

The global mortality rate from the pandemic is not known. Influenza may have killed as many as 25 million in its first 25 weeks ( a fast killer. ) .

This pandemic has been described as “the greatest medical holocaust in history” and may have killed more people than the Black Death.

APPROXIMATE DEATHS • India – 17 million • Japan – 390, 000 • U. S. – 675, 000 • England – 250, 000 • France – 400, 000 • Canada – 50, 000

One of the most striking of the complications was hemorrhaging (bleeding) from the mucous membranes, especially from the nose, stomach, and intestines, ears, and lesions in the skin.

Symptoms included a blue tint to the face and coughing up blood caused by severe obstruction of the lungs.

In some cases, the virus caused uncontrollable hemorrhaging that filled the lungs, and patients drowned in their own body fluids (pneumonia. )

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While WWI did not cause the flu, the close troop quarters and massive troop movements accelerated the pandemic, increasing transmission.

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Some researchers speculate that the soldiers’ immune systems were weakened by malnourishment, and the stresses of combat and chemical attacks, increasing their susceptibility to the disease.

The virus helped tip the balance of power in the war towards the Allied cause. The flu hit the Central Powers before it the Allied Powers, and the mortality rates in Germany and Austria were considerably higher than Britain and France.

An additional factor of the Spanish flu (like today) was increased travel. Modern transportation systems made it easier for people to spread the disease quickly to communities worldwide.

While the panic from WWI was dwindling, governments attempted to keep morale up by spreading lies and downplaying the influenza.

While medical scientists attempted to discover a cure or vaccine, there was virtually no assistance from world governments. The war in Europe had become the #1 priority.

Many historians have called the Spanish flu the “forgotten pandemic. ”

The majority of deaths, in both WWI and in the Spanish Flu epidemic, were young adults. The deaths caused by the flu may have been overlooked due to the large numbers of deaths in the war.

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COULD THIS HAPPEN AGAIN? ! Researchers say current circulating bird flu viruses have all the genetic ingredients needed for the emergence of a virus similar to the 1918 flu.

Could this happen again? • Now nearly a century after its outbreak, experts live in fear of a similar pandemic engulfing humanity – and say it will spread even quicker. • It comes after a team of scientists discovered influenza genes in wild ducks with "remarkable genetic similarities" to those that made up the 1918 virus

Could this happen again? ! • But a new pandemic would have a unique advantage too, spreading around the world quicker than ever because of easier access to international travel. • And while richer countries can count on better healthcare this time around, the virus will move farther and faster in the months doctors spend developing a vaccine.

READ ‘THE 1918 FLU KILLED MILLIONS’ • Answer the questions on a separate sheet of paper