The Spanish influenza pandemic occurred between 1918 and 1919. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this flu virus infected more than 500 million people and killed about 50 million people around the world.
Name
The flu pandemic of 1918 is dubbed the Spanish Influenza because reports of more than 8 million deaths occurred in Spain that May.
Soldier Deaths
More people died from the Spanish influenza than from wounds sustained in World War I. Half of all American soldiers who died during WWI, died from the flu.
WWI Influence
World War I helped the virus spread from continent to continent with the movement of soldiers and supplies. Three waves of the influenza circled the globe.
Victims
The influenza of 1918 killed more healthy young adults than previous flu viruses. The very young and old were less likely to die from complications of this influenza.
Virus Type
According to the CDC, the flu virus of 1918 is a subtype of the H1N1 virus.
Symptoms
This virulent strain of flu caused a rapid onset of lung distress. People died from respiratory complications of the influenza virus.
