History of Influenza: How Far Back Does It Go?

There have been many pandemics of the flu in the recent past. But how far back can we track influenza? Since the symptoms of the flu are similar to other respiratory diseases, it is hard to decipher the two throughout history. Influenza comes from the Latin language meaning “influence,” referring to the cause of the disease.

It is thought the disease spread from Europe to the Americas during the European colonization of America. Historians believe an illness that resembles influenza killed the entire population of the Antilles in 1493. This happened shortly after Christopher Columbus had arrived at the Americas.

In 1580, the influenza virus started in Russia and soon spread to Europe, nearly taking out entire cities. This influenza pandemic was the first on record, but not the most historic. The flu pandemic of 1918, also known as the Spanish Flu, was the most famous and deathly in history. This strand was type A and was an H1N1 subtype that killed as many as 20 to 100 million people. The symptoms of this strand of the flu were so unusual that many doctors were misdiagnosing their patients, leading to “the greatest medical holocaust in history.” The Spanish flu even made it to the Arctic and other remote Pacific Islands. Professionals estimate that 2.5% to 5% of the world’s population died from the Spanish Flu.

As time went on, the pandemics were not as severe. Antibiotics became readily available to fight secondary infections, helping reduce mortality rates. In 1944 began the development of the flu vaccine. Since then, scientists make slight adjustments each year to the vaccine. Medical professionals can predict what the flu season will hold by observing what is going on in the Southern Hemisphere.

With how significant the flu virus is this year, it is crucial to keep good hygiene. Safetec offers a large variety of products to help prevent widespread germs. Hand sanitizers, disinfectant sprays, and wipes are very important to be using during this time of year. Visit our products page for more information about the infection control items we manufacture.

References:
https://www.influenzavirusnet.com/history-of-influenza.html
https://www.cdapress.com/article/20180128/AP/301289948 
https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/influenza-epidemic/records-list.html