What is the common belief about the origin of the 1918 influenza pandemic?
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What is the common belief about the origin of the 1918 influenza pandemic?
Some medical historians and epidemiologists have theorized that the 1918 pandemic began in Asia, citing a lethal outbreak of pulmonary disease in China as the forerunner of the pandemic. Others have speculated the virus was spread by Chinese or Vietnamese laborers either crossing the United States or working in France.
What was the leading cause of death in 1918?
Spanish flu, also known as the Great Influenza epidemic or the 1918 influenza pandemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus….
| Spanish flu | |
|---|---|
| Deaths | 25–50 million (generally accepted), other estimates range from 17.4 to 100 million |
What was unusual about the 1918 influenza pandemic?
Besides its mortality the 1918 pandemic was unusual for several reasons. It preferentially killed young adults from 20 to 40 y with a peak mortality at age 28 y. Mortality was highly variable with death rates varying by at least 10 fold within similar groups of citizens, soldiers, cities and islands.
Why did the 1918 flu became America’s Forgotten Pandemic?
Once it was over, no one wanted to talk about it. Once it was over, no one wanted to talk about it. Unlike most flu strains, this one was particularly deadly for young adults between ages 20 and 40, meaning that many children lost one or both parents. …
How was the Spanish flu transmitted from person to person?
Influenza is caused by a virus that is transmitted from person to person through airborne respiratory secretions.
When did the 1918 pandemic end?
February 1918 – April 1920
Spanish flu/Periods
What organism caused the Spanish flu?
The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. Although there is not universal consensus regarding where the virus originated, it spread worldwide during 1918-1919.
What treated the Spanish flu?
How was Spanish flu treated? There were no medications effective against Spanish flu or antibiotics to treat the infections that people got as complications of the flu. There were also no machines to provide mechanical ventilation and no intensive care units.
Who discovered the 1918 flu?
Johan Hultin is a retired Swedish-American pathologist known for discovering tissues containing traces of the 1918 influenza virus that killed millions worldwide, and for this he has been described as the “Indiana Jones of the scientific set.”
When was the flu vaccine invented?
Vaccination against influenza began in the 1930s, with large-scale availability in the United States beginning in 1945. It is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines.
What was the US population during the Spanish flu?
Though the raw numbers match, experts point out that 675,000 deaths in 1918 was a much greater proportion of the population. In 1918, the U.S. population was 105 million, less than a third of the 333 million people in America today.