Influenza: Encyclopedia II - Influenza - History

Influenza - History

There were several serious outbreaks of influenza in the 20th century. The most famous (and the most lethal) was the so-called Spanish Flu pandemic (type A influenza, H1N1 strain), which lasted from 1918 to 1919, and is believed to have killed more people in total than World War I. While the war casualties accumulated over several years, the pandemic took most of its toll over a period of weeks. Lesser flu epidemics included the 1957 Asian Flu (type A, H2N2 strain) and the 1968 Hong Kong Flu (type A, H3N2 strain).

• 1889-90 - Asiatic Flu, mortality rate said to be 0.75-1 death per 1000 (pandemic)
• 1918–20 – Spanish Flu, 500 million ill, at least 40 million died (pandemic)
• 1957–58 – Asian Flu, 1 to 1.5 million died (epidemic)
• 1968–69 – Hong Kong Flu, 3/4 to 1 million died (epidemic)

Although there were scares in New Jersey in 1976 (the Swine Flu), worldwide in 1977 (the Russian Flu), and in Hong Kong (as well as in other Asian countries, namely continental China, as became known later) in 1997 (Avian influenza), there have been no major pandemics subsequent to the 1968 infection. Increased immunity from antibodies, and the development of flu vaccines have limited the spread of the virus, and so far prevented any further pandemics.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "History", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki