"I Had a Little Bird, Its Name was Enza..."

1918 was a time of turmoil for the United States.  Not only were we at war in Europe, we were also fighting our own "war" back in our homeland against influenza.  The US was suffering the worst flu epidemic in history.  People were dying in staggering numbers from the disease.  No one knew who would be the next person to get sick and die.  It was truly an unsettling and eerie time in this nation’s history.  

The worst part was there were no answers as to where this horrible disease came from or how to stop it.  Some people believed it was the Armageddon or that the Germans gave it to us.  Doctors originally thought it was a bacterium causing the sickness, but the vaccines they made for it did nothing.  People continued to die at unprecedented rates. We now know that the disease that caused the 1918 flu was a virus.  Unfortunately, viruses cannot be seen by the human eye or even by the microscope during that time.  

Since vaccines could not fix the problem, quackery became common.  Many people made their own medicines at home, hoping something would work.  However, death rates continued to skyrocket.  Trenches were dug to accommodate the mass of coffins.  People tried quarantining those who were sick, but even that did not stop the deadly disease from spreading. 

The worst and deadliest month was October.  In 31 days over 195,000 people were killed from the influenza.  The strangest thing about this flu, unlike most flu viruses, was that 21-29 year olds were the most vulnerable people.  This included our soldiers at war who were also getting sick and dying; people who were considered healthy and robust were the target for this virus.  In the past, the flu was known to target babies, older people or those with already weakened immune systems.  It seemed like the human race would die out soon if a cure was not discovered…

But in November 1918, death rates finally started to drop.  And by the end of the war (Nov. 11^th) the flu was almost non-existent.  It disappeared, just as fast as it had come.  But it left an impact on this nation that can never be forgotten.  Everyone in American knew someone either family, friend or neighbor who had died from the flu.  But the excitement of winning the war helped Americans move forward and soon the Influenza of 1918 was a thing of the past…

From a student who is studying epidemiology, studying and learning about past epidemics and pandemics is extremely important, especially this one because it was the worst in US history!  By studying this disease we can better learn about viruses and how they are transmitted.  However, studying the spread and cause of this disease is not an easy task as it was so rapid and short-lived. 

It is frightening to think that something like this could happen again.  In fact, it is not unlikely that something so horrible as the influenza outbreak of 1918 could happen at any moment.  Viruses and bacteria are constantly evolving and changing, which is why it is important scientists constantly study and record any new developing viruses, bacteria, fungi, etc.  It is also so important that epidemiologists and even a health professionals keep a close eye on the spread of diseases and try determining their cause(s) as quickly as possible.  But above all, proactively preventing a disease from ever occurring is the best solution!  Several years ago scientists warned of possible wide spread illness from the swine flu and many efforts, including extra opportunities and encouragement to get free vaccines, were put forth to protect the public.  Fortunately there was no outbreak but if there had been, health officials were ready.