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The History of the Spanish Flu

As the world emerged from World War I, a new enemy loomed on the horizon--one that would prove itself worthy of worldwide attention as it not only ravaged the weak and frail, but also pummeled the robust. The Spanish flu, also known as "La Grippe," caused widespread devastation between the years 1918 and 1919. It is estimated that close to 40 million people died throughout the world, including 675,000 Americans. The Spanish flu caused rapid death as it compromised breathing and left its victims struggling for air in their final moments of life.

  1. Origin

    • In May of 1918, the Spanish flu killed approximately 8 million people in Spain, and although it is widely assumed that the Spanish flu originated in that country, scientists have mixed theories on the actual roots of the illness. Some experts believe that the Spanish flu originated in North America, but Molly Billings of the Human Virology Department, Stanford School of Medicine, believes it is also possible that the Spanish flu may have originated in China, possibly a genetic mutation of the common flu (influenza).

    European Devastation

    • According to the Bangkok Post, data has been compiled that supports the theory that approximately three-quarters of the European population succumbed to the Spanish flu during the 1918 to 1919 time frame. The Spanish flu struck 14 European countries in all; the largest death toll was in Italy, and the second largest population to be affected was in Bulgaria, followed by Portugal. There was an 87 percent death toll in Spain, 84 percent death toll in the Netherlands, a 74 percent death toll in Sweden and a 73 percent death toll in Germany. The lowest rates of mortality were in Finland (33 percent) followed by England, Scotland, Denmark, Norway, France and Switzerland.

    Pole to Pole

    • The Spanish flu sickened individuals from pole to pole and according to the World Health Organization (WHO) quickly became what is referred to as a "pandemic." The Spanish flu flowed into China, India and New Zealand before making its way into Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean Islands, the Philippines, Panama and Mexico.

    Spanish Flu Hits the United States

    • A small outbreak of Spanish flu is believed to have broken out on an army base in Kansas in March of 1918. Ironically, these cases predate the May 1918 outbreaks in Spain. Approximately 500 soldiers were afflicted with the illness that received barely any attention. In fact, the United States government showed little interest in the illness, and local communities failed to acknowledge that such a flu existed until it finally reached the cities of Boston and Philadelphia in September of 1918. The Pennsylvania Gazette reveals that the Spanish flu finally made the "reportable disease list" after it was discovered that 75,000 cases of the illness affected the state's residents. The Spanish flu continued to spread like wildfire throughout the United States, exhausting the health care system and devastating families.

    The Flu Wanes

    • The spring of 1919 brought an end to the Spanish flu pandemic. Insurance Journal explains that the illness simply "disappeared," vanishing with the same abruptness with which it appeared. When all was said and done approximately one-fifth of the human population throughout the world contracted the Spanish flu, but their suffering was not in vain. Medical teams across the globe have studied the Spanish flu and developed new ways to better respond to and predict future flu outbreaks.

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