I'm sure that most of you have heard the news by now. Scientists at the CDC have recreated the "Spanish Flu", the bug that caused the last major influenza pandemic in the world, killing somewhere around 50 million people (sources vary from as low as 20 million to much higher). Rather disturbing news, especially considering the worries about the current "Bird Flu" problems in Asia, and the possible consequences to the world if it does spread and transform to become more infectious in humans.
In the other thread about the Bird Flu, BillCA mentions this flu outbreak, but he has the story a little mixed up. Yes soldiers returning from Europe brought it with them, but they took it to Europe in the first place, and were just bringing it back home for another wave to sweep the country. The first major Spanish Flu outbreak in the world started in the U.S. Specifically it started at Camp Funston (Fort Riley) Kansas in March 1918. Most accounts have one mess cook reporting sick, within a week over 500 sick, within a month about 1500, within a couple of months thousands were dead. I have done a little research on this because my grandfather was at Camp Funston in 1918. He had come to the the U.S. from Sweden a couple of years earlier and joined the army after we entered the war.
Unfortunately, the 89th was exposed before they shipped out, spreading it across the country on their way to the East coast, to head for Europe and the war. They spread it across the U.S. and the world. It spread in several waves across the U.S. going from the Plains to the coasts and back again. At the time it was not understood where it started, and since Spain was especially hard hit, it was called the Spanish flu. It is estimated that about half of our soldiers who died in the war actually succumbed to the flu. The other nations involved in the war were hit just as hard, or worse.
It is also speculated that the flu may have contributed to ending the war earlier than if all of the armies and nations involved had been healthy. Ironically, there may have been fewer deaths if they had been healthy and the war had actually lasted longer.
2 good links about it
here and here
bergie
just read the other other thread about the bird flu and saw that MoW had already posted the second link I put up.
adding another link, to the The American Experience, Influenza 1918 check out the timeline, and the people and events.
In the other thread about the Bird Flu, BillCA mentions this flu outbreak, but he has the story a little mixed up. Yes soldiers returning from Europe brought it with them, but they took it to Europe in the first place, and were just bringing it back home for another wave to sweep the country. The first major Spanish Flu outbreak in the world started in the U.S. Specifically it started at Camp Funston (Fort Riley) Kansas in March 1918. Most accounts have one mess cook reporting sick, within a week over 500 sick, within a month about 1500, within a couple of months thousands were dead. I have done a little research on this because my grandfather was at Camp Funston in 1918. He had come to the the U.S. from Sweden a couple of years earlier and joined the army after we entered the war.
Unfortunately, the 89th was exposed before they shipped out, spreading it across the country on their way to the East coast, to head for Europe and the war. They spread it across the U.S. and the world. It spread in several waves across the U.S. going from the Plains to the coasts and back again. At the time it was not understood where it started, and since Spain was especially hard hit, it was called the Spanish flu. It is estimated that about half of our soldiers who died in the war actually succumbed to the flu. The other nations involved in the war were hit just as hard, or worse.
It is also speculated that the flu may have contributed to ending the war earlier than if all of the armies and nations involved had been healthy. Ironically, there may have been fewer deaths if they had been healthy and the war had actually lasted longer.
2 good links about it
here and here
bergie
just read the other other thread about the bird flu and saw that MoW had already posted the second link I put up.
adding another link, to the The American Experience, Influenza 1918 check out the timeline, and the people and events.
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