How we put the "Kansas" in the Spanish Flu

One of the diseases that I find most interesting is that of the Spanish Flu. The Spanish Flu was an avian influenza that brought about death and destruction all over the globe. The most interesting thing about the Spanish Flu, however, is its origin. Contrary to popular belief, the Spanish Flu likely originates in Kansas, not Spain. The Spanish Flu became so prolific and prevalent because of World War I, and this is why I believe the Spanish Flu has considerable evolutionary significance. Due to the high volumes of people packed together and moving in droves during WWI, the Spanish Flu spread like wildfire. New hosts for the Spanish Flu meant new mutations, possibly making this particular brand of flu so deadly. The death toll on the Spanish Flu is similar to that of Covid-19, making this old saying ring true: "if we do not learn from our past we are doomed to repeat it."


https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-commemoration/pandemic-timeline-1918.htm

Comments

  1. Luke EvansDecember 16, 2021 at 10:03 PM

    Hi Kathryn - solid writeup! I had just learned about this fact last year with respect to COVID. The old saying is definitely right though, I hope we can learn this time around.

    ReplyDelete

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