by Denise Calaman

Created on: February 01, 2009   Last Updated: September 04, 2009

The influenza epidemic of 1918-19 is still the worst worldwide pandemic to paralyze the human population. In one year an estimated 20-40 million lives were extinguished. And doctors and scientists still don't fully understand why. Nicknamed the Spanish flu, because of an early outbreak in Spain, this particular strain that took the world by storm, is thought to have its origins traced to China were the virus mutated in a way that was never seen before in humans. Scientists are still studying the viral strain that caused the 1918 epidemic trying to figure out what might have caused the virus to mutate. Some scientists think that the viral strain that strickened the entire world in 1918 is the same strain, H1N1, better known as Swine Flu, that is afflicting the world right now.

There are many causes as to why the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak did indeed become a pandemic. Ignorance, worldwide politics and lack of education all played a part in the spread of the disease that at its height infected one fifth of the world's population. There was a light influenza outbreak in the spring of 1918 that was regarded by public health officials as a nuisance and was thought just to be a late outbreak for that season. Then in late summer, 1918, the virus infected Spain and caused an enormous amount of mortality's. Many US soldiers fighting overseas fell ill with the virus. Some did not make it home. The virus quickly spread from Europe to the US by shipping routes. No one yet realized what was happening.

Boston was the first US city to become infected with the new strain of influenza. In September 1918 the virus made its first appearance in the city and it spread rapidly. No measures were taken by the public health department to quarantine the sick or network with other health departments around the country. Officials assumed it was a localized outbreak of the influenza virus that was commonly seen every year in the US. It was only after people started to fall ill in other cities that the government began to take notice.

One of the first clues doctors and health officials had in determining that this outbreak wasn't the normal viral outbreak of influenza was the high mortality rate in people who became infected. The mortality rate for the Spanish influenza victims was 2.5% compared to the normal .1% in past years. Doctors also reported that patients suffering from Spanish influenza would exhibit symptoms instantly; one minute they were perfectly healthy, the next minute they

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