Getting the flu today is certainly no fun—but for most of us, it’s not a matter of life or death. The influenza epidemic that swept the world in 1918, however, was another story. In as little as 6 months, the flu killed more than 25 million people; that’s more than three times the number of people killed in World War I, and makes it’s the deadliest epidemic in history.

In the spring of 1918, reports of influenza surfaced quietly, with few deaths and quick recoveries. In the fall it returned—and this time, turned quickly to pneumonia, for which there was no effective treatment at the time. The plague spread rapidly across the globe on ships transporting people and goods on the heels of the recently ended Great War. Especially hard hit were the cities of Freetown, Sierra Leone; Brest, a French naval port; and Boston. In Boston, 10 percent of the population contracted the flu, and 60 percent of sufferers died. The illness decimated US troops at home and abroad; by October, 34,000 soldiers had died in battle, compared with 24,000 from the flu.

Throughout the United States, public gatherings were banned. Schools, churches, cinemas, and businesses were closed, and people wore face masks outside their homes. Because many medical personnel had gone abroad for the war, doctors and nurses often traveled long distances to see patients and either became ill en route or found themselves unprepared and unable to help upon reaching their destinations.

Overall, the United States lost more than 500,000; England and Wales, 200,000; and Samoa, a quarter of its population. Thankfully, the flu vanished abruptly in 1919. although less-severe outbreaks have occurred several times since. Scientists first thought that bacteria had caused the 1918 epidemic. In 1933, however, researchers correctly identified the influenza A virus as the culprit; they discovered influenzas B and C over the next 2 decades and devised vaccines to protect against them. Because flu viruses mutate so quickly, it’s recommended today that people get a new flu vaccination every year.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

  1. The particular flu strain that caused the epidemic was often referred to as Spanish flu—although it originated in the United States.
  2. Aside from getting a flu vaccination, one of the best ways to fight the spread of flu is to wash your hands frequently and cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
  3. Influenza returned in a pandemic form in 1957 and again in 1968, each time killing tens of thousands of Americans.