Influenza : $b An epidemiologic studyVaughan, Warren T. (Warren Taylor)
History
Influenza : $b An epidemiologic study
Vaughan, Warren T. (Warren Taylor)
Influenza
Several factors have added considerably to the difficulty in tracing the
site of origin of the 1918 epidemic and its direction of spread. The
principal of these have been the speed of modern travel, the character
of modern commerce, and the existence of a state of war. The channels of
the commerce of today radiate nearly from all points to all other points
of the civilized world. No longer are there a few preeminent lanes of
travel, such as there were in 1580 when the epidemic spread clearly from
Constantinople to Venice and on to Hungary and Germany, finally finding
its way to Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Russia. The war has made it
difficult to know accurately the date and direction of spread in enemy
countries. We have practically no information, except that in the public
press, from Russia and the Balkan States. By October of 1918 the severe
form of the disease had become prevalent in every continent, and by
December it had reached the farthest islands of the Southern Pacific
ocean.
The apparent difference in the direction of spread between 1889 and 1918
makes comparison of rapidity difficult. But if we take as our starting
point the time at which each epidemic became prevalent in commercial
centers of Europe and the time at which it finally reached localities
well off the usual paths of commerce we will see that there is some
difference, the disease spreading more rapidly in the recent epidemic,
but that the difference is no greater than could be accounted for by the
more modern means of communication. From April, 1918, when the disease
appeared in France, to October, when it was reported in Madagascar, is
six months. From October, 1889, with the disease prevailing in
Petrograd, to July, 1890, when it appeared in Madagascar, is nine
months. It required seven months after the disease became epidemic in
France this time for it to appear in Iceland, and nine months in
1889–90.
The earliest recorded epidemic of influenza in the United States in the
spring of 1918 (but which was not recognized to be such until later)
appears to have been that at Camp Funston, described by Opie and his
associates as having appeared in that Camp March 5th. The epidemic swept
quickly throughout the Camp and spent itself as rapidly. A second wave
appeared in April and in May a third, both of which were almost entirely
limited to newly drafted men brought into camp subsequent to the
preceding outbreaks. Correlated with each of these three outbreaks was a
period of increased incidence of pneumonia and bronchitis, frequently
occurring in influenza cases. These complicating diseases were prevalent
in the organizations attacked by the influenza and maintained the same
relation to the length of service of the men affected.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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