Is the Swine Flu the same thing as the spanish flu?

Answer 1

Although I am no expert on the matter, by any means, I am in the medical field, and am actually working on a research project involving these 2 Influenzas. I will give basics only, because if not, I could type forever.

1) Avian Flu, H5N1, is but one type of "bird flu" and is the subtype of influenza that initially created a panic of public concern, as it has roughly a 50% - 60% mortality rate in humans. This kind of avian influenza is only spread from bird to human, through DIRECT contact with a bird, its saliva, or feces that carry the virus particles. It has not mutated or evolved, yet, to make the jump to be able to transfer from human to human (except in extremely rare and unique circumstances), which is the main thing preventing another massive and deadly pandemic, as was seen in the 1918 "Spanish" Flu pandemic, and the 2009 pandemic of H1N1/09.

In 2013, a new type of avian flu (H7N9) has been found circulating in China. As of April 2013, there have been 18 deaths from this new bird flu in China. It is yet to be seen what its total effect will be.

2) Spanish Flu (included in the subtype of H1N1) could quite possibly be viewed as the worst disaster in human history, as far as diseases go. First identified in 1918 as a new infectious disease (although viruses as the cause were an unknown pathogen to science at the time), Spanish Flu killed more people in 1 year than the Bubonic Plague did in 4 years. It caused very high fevers, delirium, and eventually excess fluid in the lungs, sometimes with hemorrhaging... where the individual eventually can "drown" in his own body fluids. It is believed that a severe immune response called "Cytokine Storm" reaction in many people with this flu added to the excess fluid build up and to the numbers of deaths.

It only took a matter of hours after the first symptoms were noted for some to die. It contributed to anywhere from 40 million to 100 million deaths from 1918 to 1920. To put it into perspective, and for comparison sake--- most people who caught the Spanish flu died from it. It killed 15 million in the first 25 weeks, while AIDS has killed 25 million people in 25 years.

While the 2 viruses H5N1 (the original "bird flu") and H1N1 (the original "Swine Flu") are related (both are Type A influenzas, the type of flu that has caused all human flu pandemics to date), we can now help to avoid another such deadly pandemic like Spanish flu, thanks to the advances in medicine since 1918 (including most of our current antibiotics to use for secondary bacterial infections that were just being developed at the time, and the understanding of and treatment for "Cytokine Storm," thought to be a factor in the numbers of deaths).... but at the same time, we also must consider the growth in population, and our advances in transportation and frequent world-wide travel which could make it a lot easier to spread the disease faster and farther.

Answer 2

The Swine Flu that caused the 2009 Pandemic is a Type A influenza virus of the subtype H1N1. It is a different strain of H1N1 than the one that pigs get that is also called swine flu. There are many different strains of H1N1 and many of those may be commonly referred to as "Swine Flu". However, some strains of H1N1 have other names we recognize such as the Spanish Flu in 1918, also known as the Pandemic of 1918 during which tens of millions of people died worldwide. These flu viruses are all of the same type (A) and subtype (H1N1), but they each are distinct strains that affect humans (and swine) differently.

Answer 3

The swine flu and 1918 Spanish flu are the same strain of flu, H1N1. Every flu mutates, it's what makes them so hard to vaccinate against. The swine flu is a mutated version of the original H1N1, containing avian, swine and human genes in it.

Strangely enough, American Armed Forces Institute of Pathology scientists reconstructed the Spanish Flu in a lab in 2007, using human DNA (and what other animal?) of victims who had died from the flu. The original Spanish flu had jumped from bird to human. At the same time that the Spanish flu was happening, pigs were having a respitory problem and according to the experts, this is how we have now caught the new swine flu- even though the pigs got sick back in the 30's, a few years after the original Spanish Flu. If they think I'm that stupid they have another thing coming. What do you think?

Answer 4

Read some articles in the latest virology journals and it will discuss the connection. You will need a dictionary for some of the words. The basics can be found in there. 1. The virus replicates in the lungs primarily. The immune system kicks in overtime and in the process of attacking the virus, alot of debris is created which settles in the small aveoli further preventing proper exchange of gases(oxygen and carbon dioxide). Also the inflamation process may help thicken the bronchioles that are connected to the aveoli, limiting the amount of exchange of gases that can take place. Despite supplemental oxygen being given, the sick person can possibly suffer from the lack of oxygen.

Anyway that is half the answer. It can explain why the Spanish Influenza kill the healthest of the healthy in 1917. The article read suggested there was a genetic similarity. I can't remember what it was. Remember today we have antiviral drugs, antibiotics, and most important, vaccinations that can help prevent or lessen the affects. In 1917 none of these existed.

Answer 5

No. The Spanish flu occurred at the end of WW 1 and was very severe and had a very high rate of death (high mortality rate). The regular flu (by which I assume you mean seasonal flu) is much less serious and of most concern to older people. Overall the seasonal flu is much less serious than the Spanish flu and killed way fewer people.

Answer 6

they are both bad for you and illnesses that you dont want to get.

Answer 7

No, they are different