The Spanish influenza pandemic in the years 1918-1920 was the largest and most tragic pandemic of infectious disease in human history. Deciphering the structure of the virus (including the ...determination of complete genome sequence) of this pandemic and the phylogenetic analysis and explanation of its virulence became possible thanks to molecular genetic analysis of the virus isolated from the fixed and frozen lung tissue of influenza victims who died in 1918 and were buried frozen in Alaska and Spitsbergen. Epidemiological data from the course of this pandemic in Poland have not been previously published. For analysis, we used source materials such as clinical studies and case reports of doctors fighting against the pandemic and registries of influenza cases in units of the Polish Army and military hospitals. Clinically, the pandemic of 1918 was characterized by the same symptoms and course as influenza in other years. Pathologically, the disease was similar to the other pandemic, in that the destruction was mostly limited to the respiratory tract. The "Spanish" influenza pandemic of 1918-1920 took place in Poland in 3 epidemic waves. The peaks of morbidity and mortality occurred in the capital, Warsaw, in December 1918 and in December 1919 to January 1920. It is estimated that throughout the pandemic period of 1918-1920 in Poland, 200 000 to 300 000 people died.
La gripe española en Cuba Leidelén Esquivel Sosa; Lumey Ávalos Quintero
Acta médica del Centro : revista del Hospital Clínico Quirúrgico "Arnaldo Milián Castro",
07/2022, Letnik:
16, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Introducción: desde la antigüedad las epidemias ponen en riesgo a los seres humanos. De la influenza de 1918 se tienen mejores detalles; sin embargo, en Cuba muchos datos no se describen con ...exactitud. Se establece la incertidumbre ante la lectura de artículos no coincidentes. Objetivo: describir hechos históricos alrededor de la gripe española en Cuba basados en artículos publicados no coincidentes. Métodos: se utilizó el método histórico-lógico, con énfasis en la inducción-deducción, mediante búsqueda bibliográfica con buscador de Google y bases de datos LILACS, Scopus, SciELO, Pubmed y Medigraphic. Se utilizaron 16 referencias que se consideraron de mayor claridad y exactitud. Desarrollo: Martínez-Fortún, en sus recopilaciones, refiere, en el mes de septiembre de 1918, la presencia de una epidemia grave de “grippe”; la Revista Bohemia la refirió a inicios de octubre. Según el archivo de Manzanillo desde el 10 de octubre comenzó en esta ciudad el rápido y alarmante desarrollo de la epidemia. El día 6 de octubre Martínez-Fortún mostró preocupación por el atraque de un barco con casos de influenza y el periódico mexicano Excélsior de ese día informó que la tripulación del vapor español Alfonso XII, que se encontraba atracado en el puerto de La Habana, estaba infectada. El mismo Martínez Fortún describió equívocamente este hecho en otro texto y otro día, el 18, lo que otros autores reprodujeron. Conclusiones: existe evidencia de que el buque que entró a Cuba fue el Alfonso XII, el 6 de octubre de 1918, con casos de la gripe que se unieron a los ya existentes en la isla.
A large literature has documented links between harmful early-life exposures and laterlife health and socioeconomic deficits. These studies, however, have typically been unable to examine the ...possibility that these shocks are transmitted to the next generation. Our study uses representative survey data from the United States to trace the impacts of in utero exposure to the 1918 influenza pandemic on the outcomes of the children and grandchildren of those affected. We find evidence of multigenerational effects on educational, economic, and health outcomes.
The 1918 influenza pandemic spread rapidly around the globe, leading to high mortality and social disruption. The countermeasures available to mitigate the pandemic were limited and relied on ...nonpharmaceutical interventions. Over the past 100 years, improvements in medical care, influenza vaccines, antiviral medications, community mitigation efforts, diagnosis, and communications have improved pandemic response. A number of gaps remain, including vaccines that are more rapidly manufactured, antiviral drugs that are more effective and available, and better respiratory protective devices.
In the time of COVID-19, many are turning to the authors of epidemic and pandemic history in the hope that they will do for us what medical historian Henry E. Sigerist did for his generation in the ...dark days of worldwide depression and World War II, that is, to give us perspective on the present by allowing us to see it through the lenses of time and social evolution.1 With this in mind, AJPH has encouraged historical essays to help place the COVID19 pandemic in perspective. In this issue four such essays, along with five accompanying editorial comments, address the pre-vaccine challenges with which we have already been grappling: attempting to understand the complex epidemiology of the pandemic and hoping to learn important lessons from it, trying to collect data to solidly ground epidemiological analyses, pursuing social mitigation measures in the hope of buy-in and success, and facing head on the implications in terms of national reputation of our country's substantial failures thus far in dealing with COVID-19. Morabia (p. 438) focuses on the US Public Health Service's 1918-1919 house-to-house morbidity and mortality survey to understand how that survey was done and what data were collected for analysis. Because the survey included questions about economic status, race, and crowding, findings indicated that incidence and mortality were higher among the poor and that in many areas Whites were apparently more infected but died less than people of color.
In 1918 an unknown infectious agent spread around the world infecting over one-third of the general population and killing almost 50 million people. Many countries were at war, the First World War. ...Since Spain was a neutral country and Spanish press could report about the infection without censorship, this condition is commonly remembered as "Spanish influenza". This review examines several aspects during the 1918 influenza pandemic to bring out evidences which might be useful to imagine the possible magnitude of the present coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
In the first part of this review we will examine the origin of the SARS-Coronavirus-2 and 1918 Spanish Influenza Virus and the role played by host and environment in its diffusion. We will also include in our analysis an evaluation of different approaches utilized to restrain the spread of pandemic and to treat infected patients. In the second part, we will try to imagine the magnitude of the present COVID-19 pandemic and the possible measures able to restrain in the present environment its spread.
Several factors characterize the outcome in a viral pandemic infection. They include the complete knowledge of the virus, the complete knowledge of the host and of the environment where the host lives and the pandemic develops.
By comparing the situation seen in 1918 with the current one, we are now in a more favourable position. The experience of the past teaches us that their success is linked to a rapid, constant and lasting application. Then, rather than coercion, awareness of the need to observe such prevention measures works better.
Abstract
The factors that drive spatial heterogeneity and diffusion of pandemic influenza remain debated. We characterized the spatiotemporal mortality patterns of the 1918 influenza pandemic in ...British India and studied the role of demographic factors, environmental variables, and mobility processes on the observed patterns of spread. Fever-related and all-cause excess mortality data across 206 districts in India from January 1916 to December 1920 were analyzed while controlling for variation in seasonality particular to India. Aspects of the 1918 autumn wave in India matched signature features of influenza pandemics, with high disease burden among young adults, (moderate) spatial heterogeneity in burden, and highly synchronized outbreaks across the country deviating from annual seasonality. Importantly, we found population density and rainfall explained the spatial variation in excess mortality, and long-distance travel via railroad was predictive of the observed spatial diffusion of disease. A spatiotemporal analysis of mortality patterns during the 1918 influenza pandemic in India was integrated in this study with data on underlying factors and processes to reveal transmission mechanisms in a large, intensely connected setting with significant climatic variability. The characterization of such heterogeneity during historical pandemics is crucial to prepare for future pandemics.
Throughout history, society has dealt with several devastating pandemics. Our objective is to analyze society's coping mechanisms to deal with pandemic-related stress in history congruent with the ...values of the time. For that purpose, we have carefully selected some of the most significant pandemics based on their impact and the available psychosocial literature. After a brief introduction, society's coping tools are reviewed and analyzed for the Antonine Plague, the second bubonic plague, the third cholera pandemic, the Spanish flu, the HIV pandemic, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite occurring at different times in history, parallels can be established in the study of society's psychological reactions among different pandemics. Magical thinking, political skepticism, fake accusations, and discrimination of minorities are recurrent reactions in society among different pandemics in history.
PDF
