The Flu that Beat WWI

In 1918, the world had a lot going on. The first Tarzan film premiered on Broadway. Britain granted women over 30 the right to vote. Russia began Separation of Church and State. Congress authorized time zones, approving day light savings time. The first U.S. airmail stamp was issued, and the Supreme Court Ruled that child labor laws were unconstitutional. To top it all off, World War I was in its final days.

Casualties of War

Between 9 and 10 million people died as casualties of World War I. However, the war claimed close to 40 million people due to the flu outbreak of 1918. Approximately one fifth of the world's population died as a direct result of soldiers catching and spreading the flu during the war.

The Spread of Disease

Infectious disease suddenly had all eyes upon it, as it made its way from person to person, and country to country. In March of 1918, soldiers working at an army camp in Kansas got sick after burning huge mounds of horse manure. The sky had developed a stinky haze from all of the ash; a dust storm came that blew debris, dust, and ash everywhere. Within a week, hundreds of soldiers began showing up in the infirmary complaining of flu symptoms.

Because the flu often comes on like a cold, commanders weren't overly concerned. Soldiers were sent overseas to fight the war. This included soldiers who were healthy, as well as soldiers who may have been mildly sick. The war didn't stop just because a few people came down with a fever or the sniffles. American soldiers spread their germs to each other, and also to people in other countries.

An Unprecedented Epidemic

As the disease spread, it ended up taking the lives of people all across the globe. The flu epidemic of 1918 was out of control. It became known as the worst flu epidemic in world history, and even today is a source of extreme fear.

People all over the world got sick. Doctors and nurses were in high demand, but they were also among those infected. Resources were drained. Poor sanitation helped spread the dreaded disease, as millions of people began dying around the world.

Controlling Disease

In an effort to control the spread of the disease, laws were enforced fining people for spitting, coughing or sneezing in public without a handkerchief. Many public places were closed which included saloons, ice cream parlors, libraries, and churches. People were in a panic trying to prevent the spread of the flu.

Discovering the Cause of the Flu

Prior to 1918, people believed that the flu was bacterial in nature. For years, people believed that the soldiers got sick when they burned the horse manure at the army camp. They blamed the dust storm for spreading the bacteria in the manure ash to local communities. Many years later, it was determined that the flu is actually viral in nature.

When people began to understand that the flu is a virus, they were able to develop better defenses against it. Through this knowledge, scientists came to realize that the flu epidemic is closely related to swine flu, and not bacteria floating through the air.

Developing Preventive Measures

Public health departments became accepted in 1918. As Nationalism became more popular, citizens requested more services from the government. Government relied on scientists to develop germ theories, and create vaccines that would reduce mortality rates. People began to understand the importance of progress as they worked to prevent, diagnose, and treat the flu effectively in the future.