The History of Flu Outbreaks

Influenza is one of the oldest and most common illnesses, with outbreaks all over the globe since ancient times. Since 1944, when flu vaccine was developed, deaths from flu have dropped dramatically, but it still sickens millions each year.

Early Outbreaks

• According to Bryan Walsh, author of "A Brief History of Flu Pandemics," the Greeks described a flulike illness in 412 B.C. In 1485, a "sweating sickness" with symptoms similar to the flu spread through Britain, and many died. The disease was named "influenza" during a European pandemic in 1580.

18th-Century Flu

• In their article "A History of the Flu," Tina Peng and Kate Daily write that the world saw three flu pandemics and two major epidemics in the 1700s, but little headway was made in researching and controlling the virus.

19th-Century Outbreaks

• During a severe pandemic in 1837, deaths exceeded births one month in Berlin, and all public businesses closed in Barcelona. The Russian flu pandemic of 1890 originated in Southern China and spread to Russia, Europe and the United States.

1918 Pandemic

• The influenza pandemic of 1918 was, according to Peng and Daily, the worst epidemic in global history. More than 50 million people died, but research followed that eventually led to development of the flu vaccine.

Mid-20th Century Outbreaks

• The Asian flu pandemic began in 1957, when 2 million people died despite vaccination efforts. In 1969, the Hong Kong flu killed 34,000. In 1976, the first "swine flu" outbreak began among soldiers at Fort Dix, New Jersey, where only one patient died.

Avian Flu

• The Avian flu appeared in 1997 and killed 18 people, most of whom were in direct contact with infected birds. There have been several outbreaks since, including one in South Korea in 2003.