1. The Spanish Influenza Pandemic 1918 By: Angelina Torre

2. World War 1

3. WW1 The flu spread quickly when soldiers carried the flu with them wherever they traveled. A theory is that the stresses of combat increased the soldiers vulnerability to the virus. Modern transportation made it easier to spread the flu. the flu had killed 57,000 American soldiers which is 4000 more than those killed in the war itself. In total 25% of Americans got the virus.

4. Where did it come from? Tibet? China? Spain? Kansas?

5. Theories of Origin The virus originated in China in a rare genetic shift of the influenza virus. It came from the far East The virus came from Fort Riley, Kansas by two genetic mechanisms. It mutated in swine The virus jumped from birds to humans The virus started in Tibet, spread to Europe and was spread to troops coming back to the U.S The flu was thought to have come from Spain because the most reliable news coverage came from that area, thus the image Spain was most affected.

6. People Affected The flu targeted the young and healthy. Half of all deaths in 1918 were of people between twenty and forty. Deaths occurred from what is referred to as a “cytokine storm” or a overreaction of the immune system.

7. Symptoms Blue tint to the face Coughing up blood Hemorrhaging Deaths occurred in hours, or the next day. October 1918 was the deadliest month in U.S. history with 195,000 fatalities The flu spread so intensely, health care workers became too sick to take care of their patients.

8. Treatment Communities….. Closed businesses and churches Stayed indoors Stores stopped sales to avoid crowds and shoppers phoned in orders. Wore masks.

9. . “Obey the laws, and wear the gauze, protect your jaws, from septic paws.”

10. “I had a little bird. Its name was Enza. I opened the window, And in-flu-enza”

11. Waves of the flu The first was mild compared to the last two deadly waves. It spread through the U.S, Europe, and Asia The second had high fatalities These outbreaks occurred in France, Brest, Freetown, Boston, Massachusetts. and Sierra Leone The third wave was in March 1919 and spread in England and Wales.

12. It is estimated 50-100 million people died from the Spanish Influenza:

13. Mortality by country India- 17 million Japan- 390,000 United States- 500,000- 675,000 Britain- 250,000 France – 400,000 Canada- 50,000 Dutch East Indies (Indonesia)- 1.5 million Australia-12,000 Fiji Islands- 14% of the population Western Samoa- 22% Entire villages perished in Alaska and Southern Africa

14. The Impact The pandemic caused large business failures and stunted economic growth years after. People began to listen to authorities of public health. The pandemic has inspired American Literature such as: Pale Horse, Pale Ride- Katherine Ann Porter The Doctor’s Son- John O’Hara If I die before I wake- David Morrell Research and testing is still being done today by recreating the virus for research and studying historic tissue samples.

15. Bibliography Billings, Molly. “The 1918 Influenza Pandemic” http://virus.stanford.edu/uda/ (April 2010). Cummings, Sarah.” Spanish Influenza Outbreak.” http://www.haverford.edu/biology/edwards/disease/viral_essays/cummingsvi rus.htm (April 2010). Crane, Leonard. “The 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic and the emerging swine flu pandemic.” http://www.ninthday.com/spanish_flu.htm (May 2010) Kreiser, Christine. “The 1918 Spanish flu outbreak, the enemy within” Historynet.com. http://www.historynet.com/1918-spanish-influenza-outbreak-the-enemy- within.htm (May 2010) Parsons, David. “The Spanish lady and the Newfoundland regiment.” http://www.vlib.us/medical/parsons.htm (May 2010)