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The spreading illness that became a pandemic was first widely known about when reported in the Spanish newspapers, which were some of the only sources of world news during that period of World War 1. Because the news about it came from Spain, people began referring to it as the Spanish flu and it stuck. It is believed to have originated in the US and then spread worldwide, it was not believed to have started in Spain, although the name implies that.
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What pandemic hit the world in 1918?
spanish flu
Where did the Spanish flu come from?
The spanish flu virus is believed to have started in Asia like most of the flu viruses, and then made its way to the US where it may have mutated on the way to become the pandemic Spanish flu of 1918. During this time of WW1, as soldiers were coming back to the US from war zones across the world and others were being sent from the US into the war, the virus spread to hundreds of millions of people in the US and worldwide. It did not originate in Spain. It is called the Spanish flu only because that is how most people first heard about it, from Spanish newspapers that, unlike newspapers in many other countries, continued to publish and get distributed throughout the war.
What should you do when you have the Spanish Flu?
The infectious disease that has been called Spanish Flu was another type of influenza that was particularly virulent and deadly and caused the pandemic of 1918-1919. Unless you can go back in time, you may not be able to catch this anymore, as it is thought to have mutated to different strains that have changed them and their symptoms significantly. Swine flu was a similar subtype of influenza with similar characteristics in symptoms, however, it was not as deadly as the 1918 disease. Some viruses just "die out" and there is no further replication of them due to the mutations that frequently occur in viruses, especially flu and cold viruses. At that time of the Spanish Flu, science also did not know about viruses as an infective agent. There was no treatment like we have today with the antiviral medicines. They also had not learned about use of antibiotics for killing bacteria until the late 19th century. Therefore, in 1918, antibiotics were not as developed and did not treat as many kinds of bacteria as the ones we have today can. Those who get secondary bacterial pneumonia now can be readily treated with antibiotics. There is also now better treatment of "cytokine storm," which is thought to have been a complication of the Spanish Flu that added to the number of deaths. This is a complex complication of infectious diseases; sort of an "over-reaction" by the immune system. Today we have no cures for the flu of any kind. However, it now can be treated with antiviral drugs (that lessen the duration and severity of symptoms), but that is not a "cure". We also can prevent many types of influenza with vaccines, and we have better treatment for the symptoms so we aren't as miserable. So, if you would get Spanish Flu, it would be different than that in 1918. It would need to have a new vaccine developed, like was necessary with the Swine Flu in 2009. Until then, since it can't be prevented, you would treat the symptoms as we do with any other influenza illness today.
How else had Europeans suffered in 1918 besides the war?
As if World War I - back then, just called "the Great War" - wasn't enough, an influenza epidemic killed a substantial number of the people who became infected.
How did World War 1 contribute to the influenza pandemic of 1918?
The disgusting conditions in the trenches and the close quarters the men lived in made the spread of the disease easy. The sick soldiers went to the medical tents. The doctors and nurses who didn't get sick returned home, bringing the virus with them.
Was there ever an epidemic?
Spanish Flu 1918
Was the Spanish flu avian or swine?
The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic was closely related to an avian virus.
What pandemic hit the world in 1918?
spanish flu
Will the Spanish Flu ever return?
The Spanish flu of 1918 wiped out millions of people. Some doctors believe it could come back but if it does, they think it will not be as devastating as it was back in 1918.
When was the most recent flu pandemic and how many people did it kill?
It was the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-1920, and it is estimated to have been responsible for approximately 80 million deaths world wide.
Flu epidemic of 1918 more bacterial or a virus?
Flu is always caused a virus, not bacteria, so no flu epidemic will be due to a bacterial agent. This is true of the 1918 "Spanish Flu", it was caused by a virus.
What was the worst pandemic?
The 1918 pandemic of the Spanish Flu killed multiple millions world wide.
What epidemic closed down movie houses in 1918?
Spanish Flu
What is true about Wilson’s illness in 1918?
President Wilson had a stroke. It was kept a secret.
Did 6 million Americans die of Spanish Flu in 1918?
No. The 1918 flu killed 500,000 Americans and over 20 million worldwide.
Where can you find a diagram of the process which caused the 1918 Spanish flu?
See the related links below for links to various sites (some with diagrams) about the 1918 Spanish Flu. "The influenza pandemic of 1918, also known as the Spanish Flu, remains the most deadly outbreak in recent history. Death estimates range from 20 to 40 million people worldwide."
In What state did the flu first appear?
Maybe Spain. Spanish Influenza.
