![]() The new virus may be the result of an animal virus, usually from a bird, mixing with a human virus to produce a new strain. This allows it to spread widely and rapidly, potentially affecting millions of people worldwide. Influenza pandemics occur when a virus emerges that is so different from previous strains that few, if any, people have any immunity to it. How does a flu pandemic start?įlu viruses are constantly changing, producing new strains. No one knows for sure when, or where, the next flu pandemic might happen, but everyone should be prepared. In the 1900s there were three flu pandemics, including the Spanish Flu of 1918 which caused over 40 million deaths worldwide (over 500,000 in the U.S.)Īccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), during the H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009 more than 60 million people got sick, more than 274,000 were hospitalized, and more than 12,000 died in the U.S. Millions of people around the world might get very sick. It can last for many months, affect many different places and be very dangerous. In the United States, it was first identified in military personnel in spring 1918. Although there is not universal consensus regarding where the virus originated, it spread worldwide during 1918-1919. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. A flu pandemic happens when a new kind of flu virus causes people to get sick all over the world. The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history.
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