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Past Influenza Pandemics
About influenza About influenza pandemic
- "An influenza pandemic is a rare but recurrent event." - WHO
- "A pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges and starts spreading as easily as normal influenza - by coughing and sneezing. Because the virus is new, the human immune system will have no pre-existing immunity. This makes it likely that people who contract pandemic influenza will experience more serious disease than that caused by normal influenza." - WHO
- first well-documented case was traced back to 1580
- 28 cases of influenza pandemic were recorded from 1580-1900
- since 1900-present, there have been at least 3 pandemics: Spanish Flu, Asian Flu, and Hong Kong Flu
- Spanish influenza
- occurred in 1918-1919, just as World War I was winding down
- killed an estimated 40-50 million people worldwide (WHO estimates)
- swept through North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Brazil, and the South Pacific
- considered one of the deadliest disease events in human history
- caused by influenza type A virus (H1N1)
- higher mortality rate among the younger population; people between 20-45 years old accounted for 60% of the fatalities
- Asian influenza
- occurred in 1957-1958
- estimated 2 million deaths
- first identified in China
- caused by type A virus (H2N2)
- outbreak occurred between late summer and fall
- those mainly infected were above 55 years old
- Hong Kong influenza
- occurred in 1968
- estimated 1 million deaths
- arose in Southeast Asia (first detected in Hong Kong), then spread to the US and Europe
- caused by type A virus (H3N2)
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