Worldwide Influenza Epidemic Strikes the United States
The worldwide influenza epidemic, which reached the United States in March 1918, coincided with the conclusion of World War I and resulted in significant loss of life, ultimately claiming around half a million American lives. Known as the "Spanish Influenza," the outbreak reflected the limited medical understanding of the time, leading to rapid transmission and high mortality rates. Unlike modern flu, which is often seen as a manageable illness, the 1918 strain was particularly deadly and spread quickly among populations. Globally, the epidemic may have caused as many as 40 million deaths, with communities in the Pacific Islands suffering disproportionately.
In subsequent years, various flu outbreaks, including the notable H1N1 pandemic in 2009, highlighted the ongoing challenges posed by influenza viruses. These outbreaks led to public health responses such as vaccination campaigns and quarantine measures, underscoring the importance of preparedness in the face of emerging health threats. Even today, influenza remains a serious concern, with seasonal flu causing approximately 36,000 deaths annually in the U.S. The mutation of influenza viruses from animals to humans continues to pose risks, reinforcing the need for vigilance in monitoring and responding to potential pandemics.
Worldwide Influenza Epidemic Strikes the United States
Worldwide Influenza Epidemic Strikes the United States
It is of course widely known that America was involved in World War I and that there was considerable loss of life in that conflict. Curiously, another event that in fact claimed many more lives than World War I has faded into obscurity. This was the worldwide influenza epidemic, which reached the United States on March 11, 1918, as World War I was drawing to a close. On this date, over 100 servicemen at Fort Riley, Kansas, came down with the illness. In the years following World War I and through the early 1920s, roughly half a million Americans would die from the flu.
In modern times, the flu is considered a minor ailment and is treated with over-the-counter drugs that are easily obtainable at a reasonable cost in virtually every community. This was not the case in 1918. In addition, the particular strain of influenza that was spreading around the world was much more deadly than modern flu viruses. It is uncertain where the virus of 1918 originated, although it was nicknamed the “Spanish Influenza.”
The limited medical knowledge of the time made it possible for the flu to spread very rapidly. For example, when nurses and other hospital personnel wore surgical masks to protect themselves while treating patients with the flu, they often did not pull the mask up over their nostrils. It was not yet understood that a virus could be inhaled through the nasal cavities just as easily as through the mouth, so the result was that these medical personnel became carriers of the flu themselves.
Worldwide, the loss of life may have been as high as 40 million people, approximately 2 percent of the world's population. The loss of life was even higher in some Pacific Island communities where the natives were more susceptible to outside diseases. As with most deadly epidemics, however, the flu virus began to fade. This is a fairly predictable outcome for most viruses, since a disease that kills its host hinders its own chances for survival.
There were other flu outbreaks in 1957 and 1968. Even today, there is a regular “flu season” that begins with the onset of colder temperatures in the fall. Approximately 36,000 people die of the flu every year in the United States.
In April 2009, a new type of influenza A outbreak began in the United States, called swine flu, or H1N1. The US government declared a public health emergency and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) worked on creating a vaccine. It was a novel disease made up of DNA from human, avian, and pig flu strains, which originated in the United States and Mexico at the beginning of 2009. Symptoms and transmission were similar to that of the traditional flu but resulted in worse complications for children and those with preexisting conditions. Older adults had greater immunity to the disease. The illness quickly spread around the globe, and in June 2009, it became the first flu pandemic since 1918. Schools were closed, some quarantine measures were enacted, and even travel was affected. Local hospitals and emergency rooms were overwhelmed with caring for patients sick with swine flu or those who feared that they had been infected. The virus often did not respond to traditional antivirals, which increased the death rate. A vaccination for H1N1 was developed by November 2009 and given to those at most risk first, which helped to lessen the illness and loss of life. It is estimated that four hundred thousand people worldwide died of H1N1 and related problems by the end of the pandemic in August 2010.
In 2011, two more types of influenza A swine flu spread in the United States, named trH3N2 and trH1N2. Also, avian flu or bird flu was reported in China, the rest of Asia, and the Middle East but had not been seen in large numbers the United States. The mutation of flu viruses from animals to humans is dangerous because of the possibility of another pandemic caused by a virus that cannot be treated with current medicine, resulting in a high mortality rate. During the 2014 flu season, H1N1 made a comeback, causing sixty percent of those hospitalized to be between the ages of eighteen and sixty-four, even though the yearly flu vaccine contained a variant of H1N1.