The Forgotten PandemicThe 1918 Flu Epidemic

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Presentation by Robert MartinezPrimary Content Source: Wikipedia “Spanish Flu.”Images as cited.

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I had a little bird,Its name was Enza,

I opened the window,And in-flew-enza.

American Skipping Rhyme (circa 1918.)

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

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It was caused by an unusually virulent and deadly influenza A virus strain called H1N1. 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.

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The pandemic lasted from March 1918 to June 1920, spreading even to the Arctic and

remote Pacific Islands.

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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.

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In the United States, the disease was first observed at Fort Riley, Kansas on March 4, 1918, and in Queens, New York, on March

11, 1918.

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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.

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Modern scientists have used tissue samples from frozen victims to reproduce

the virus for study. Among the conclusions of this research is that the virus kills by a

overreaction of the body’s immune system).

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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.

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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.)

.

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This pandemic has been described as “the greatest medical holocaust in history” and

may have killed more people than the Black Death.

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Approximate Deaths Worldwide Samples *

• India – 17 million

• Japan – 390,000

• U.S. – 675,000

• England – 250,000

• France – 400,000

• Canada – 50,000

* http://en.wikipedia.org/Flu_epidemic_of_1918

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This huge death toll was caused by an extremely high infection rate of up to 50%, and the extreme severity of the symptoms.

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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.

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Symptoms included a blue tint to the face and coughing up blood caused by severe

obstruction of the lungs.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The Great Influenza was the source of much fear in citizens around the world.

Inflaming that fear was the fact that world governments and health officials were

downplaying the situation.

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While the panic from WWI was dwindling, governments attempted to keep morale up

by spreading lies and downplaying the influenza.

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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.

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

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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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In addition, during this time period, pandemic outbreaks were not uncommon; typhoid, yellow fever, diphtheria, and cholera all occurred near the same time period.

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Notable Epidemic Survivors

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Presidents Woodrow Wilson & Franklin D. Roosevelt

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Spanish Flu Survivors

Silent film super-star Mary Pickford

Famed animator Walt Disney

Spanish Flu Survivors

U.S. General John J. Pershing, WWI

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Wilhelm II, German Emperor, WWI

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Notable Flu Survivor

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Leo Szilard, Inventor Nuclear Chain Reaction

Swine Flu 2009

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Swine Flu 2009

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Swine Flu 2009

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Swine Flu 2009

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SWINE FLU: 1st Death in US is Child in Texas; All Comal schools closed until May 11

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Comal ISD/New Braunfels ISD closing all schools

Texas cancels high school athletics as flu cases grow to 16