Pandemics in History
Historical Pandemics

Our first known description of influenza virus goes all the way back to Hippocrates, who is known as the “Father of Medicine”. Hippocrates described what we know as the flu, in 412 BC.

Photo Courtesy of Otis Historical Archives
National Museum of Health and Medicine
France 1918

The first recorded description of a flu pandemic was in 1580. Since that first pandemic, flu pandemics have occurred in cycles of 10 to 30 years. Based on this, in 2009, we are far overdue for the next pandemic.

Recent Pandemics in History

• 1889-1890 Asiatic Flu - Starting in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, it is known to have infected North America, South America, India and Australia. The flu virus is believed to have been the H2N8 type. This pandemic flu had a high transmission rate (spread fast) and a high mortality rate (many died). About 1 million people died during this pandemic.

• 1918-1919 Spanish Flu - This one spread fast. First identified in March 1918 in Kansas, it had spread to become a worldwide pandemic by October of 1918. The Spanish flu had 3 waves:

  • 1918 flu epidemic - 1st wave

  • influenza 1918 - 2nd wave

  • 1918 influenza pandemic - 3rd wave

  By the time it was over, 18 months later, this pandemic flu had infected 1/3 of the world's population. An especially deadly virus it left an estimated 50-100 million dead.

  Since records were not kept at that time, no one can be sure of the exact number. The Spanish influenza was a combination of bird, swine and human viruses and it was an H1N1 type virus—just like the swine flu H1N1 virus circulating in 2009.

• 1957-1958 Asian Flu - This 1957 pandemic was caused by an H2N2 virus and it caused about 2 million deaths worldwide. It was first identified in China in February 1957 and it was seen in the US by June 1957. It appeared to be over by December, but, in early 1958 there was another wave that hit the elderly especially hard. In the US, 70,000 people died.

• 1968-1969 Hong Kong Flu - This pandemic flu virus first appeared in the US in early 1968, but it didn't spread widely in the US until December of 1968 and early 1969. Most people who died were older than 65. In the end, about 34,000 people died in the US, and one million died worldwide.

As you can see, looking at the best known pandemics in history, the last true pandemic that we have seen was over 40 years ago. Scientists have been predicting that a pandemic will occur soon.

The flu virus that has held their attention as being the most likely candidate has been the H5N1 avian flu virus . The H5N1 bird flu virus has been gradually changing and infecting small groups (or clusters) of people in the last few years.

The current H1N1 swine flu virus has become the most likely candidate to take off and run. And, scientists are watching H1N1 carefully, because viruses change very quickly at times. The concern is that, H1N1 could change in the next few months to become more deadly—and then return with a vengeance--just as the 1918 pandemic flu virus did!

More about Pandemics

Return to Spanish Flu - the 1918 Pandemic

Flu Pandemic History in Photos

Superbug or Not?

What is a Cytokine Storm?

Pandemic Alert Levels

Pandemic Phases

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