Posted on 08/17/2008 11:05:18 AM PDT by decimon
Hmm. Why haven’t the Spanish flu happened since then? I mean this is much more connected world than it was back in 1918 when air travel wasn’t even possible.
Because it hasn't, is probably the answer. The Spanish flu, that was probably an American flu, was so devastating for its virulence more than for the fact that it spread. Flu is still a big killer but not to the extent of the 1918 strain.
I’m just wondering why we haven’t seen a lethal strain similiar to spanish flu. All it take is some mutation occuring from chickens and/or pigs where the virus crosses over to humans and kill many more people than 1918 pandemic because the world is much smaller place today than it was 100 years ago.
A counter argument has been that we are far better able to deal with a budding epidemic than we were some hundred years ago. There have been several discussions (arguments, brawls) about this on Free Republic, if you feel like searching them out.
What’s the keyword so I can find those arguments easily.
That got me to this page of articles. That's a whole bunch of articles. :-)
One theory of why we haven’t seen 1918 around since then is that it killed off everyone whose genetics put them at risk. In addition, the flu itself may have made DNA changes to the survivors which rendered them and their descendants more or less immune or at least inhospitable hosts for the most dangerous forms of the virus, or so some studies seem to indicate.
That said, exhumation of 1918 victims should only be done with extreme caution as it would really suck to find out that all the above was wrong.
As I recall, the article I read described victims as having subsequent mental problems and that description seemed to fit my father. I do know that, in spite of this ailment, he led a productive life from the early 1920s on into the 40s. I was pretty young but do recall that he continued to work after the war started and I believe that he had to stop working around 44.
He worked for the railroad as a station agent and telegrapher in my home town and was never unemployed, even during the great depression. Of course, I didn't come along until 1936 and I guess by then the worst part of the depression was over.
If you're interested in this, just try Googling "1918 flu epidemic" and see what you come up with.
ping
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