Spanish Flu Pandemic

The Spanish Flu pandemic was one of the most unusual outbreaks in history of diseases. It took place between 1918 and lasted to 1920.  Identical to the 2009 flu, the 1918 flu also used the H1N1 Influenza. This was a global tragedy that impacted over 500 million individuals with a death toll of 50 to 100 million people.  At that time, this disease had wiped out an estimated 4 to 5 percent of the world’s population, automatically categorized it as one of the deadliest disease occurrence in Human history. Most outbreaks are known to attack elderly, juvenile, and individuals with weakened immune systems. However, the 1918 flu has a record for weakening and killing previously young healthy people. Later research has shown the virus has been successful at victimizing people because it kills using a CYTOKINE STORM. A cytokine storm is basically when a person’s body’s immune system overreacts to a stressor. In the United States, the disease was first discovered in Kansas. The least infected people were found in Japan with a death toll of less than 300,000. Of course, like any other outbreaks some individuals had to be isolated or quarantined. The disease ran its course and came to a natural halt.