Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory InvestigationsUniversity of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine
History
Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory Investigations
University of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine
Influenza; Influenza Epidemic, 1918-1919
In the city of Pittsburgh the disease was not made reportable until
October 5. However, one case was reported on October 1, and it was known
that there were a few isolated cases in Pittsburgh previous to that
date. During the months of October, November and up to December 21 there
were 23,268 cases of influenza reported, and the deaths were 1,374 from
lobar pneumonia and 678 from broncho-pneumonia. We cannot but feel that
most of the deaths reported during the period of the epidemic as lobar
pneumonia were broncho-pneumonia associated with influenza. It was well
known among civilians that true lobar pneumonia was exceedingly rare and
has remained so up to the present time. This is especially noticeable,
as this is the time of the year when lobar pneumonia is usually
widespread in Western Pennsylvania. This district was particularly
favored with a mild fall and winter. On October 1 the first case was
reported, on October 15 the epidemic reached its peak—on that day 957
persons being reported ill with the disease. From October 16 until
October 28 it maintained an average of 600 cases daily; from October 29
until October 31 there was a sharp decline from 600 cases daily down to
200 cases daily. From November 1 until December 21 the decline has been
uniform, and on this latter date 58 cases of influenza and 7 of
pneumonia were reported. The height of the epidemic was reached between
October 15 and October 29. During the period of the epidemic in
Pittsburgh, from October 1 until December 15, 62 days were recorded as
cloudy, or partially cloudy, and only 14 days as clear, although the
cloudy days seemed distributed and not in decided groups. The mean
temperature for October was 58 degrees, with normal 54.9; for November,
44 degrees, normal 42.9; for December, 41 degrees, normal 34.7. The
precipitation in October was 3.08, as against a normal of 2.36; in
November, 1.79, with normal 2.55; and in December, 3.50, normal 2.73.
From a study of these weather reports we see that the epidemic occurred
during a period of abnormally warm, cloudy and slightly more moist
autumnal season than usual, but these variations were relatively slight
and far from decided. The confusion of diagnosis between lobar pneumonia
and broncho-pneumonia, associated with or following influenza, occurred
in the Pittsburgh health reports as well as in other cities. The
presumption that almost all, if not all, of the cases reported as
pneumonia of different types were really cases of influenzal pneumonia,
seems justified.
_Epidemic Incidents in Institutions and Towns of Western Pennsylvania_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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