Did your Ancestor die during an Epidemic?

The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 http://virus.stanford.edu/uda/  for complete story

The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 killed more people than the Great War, known today as World War I (WWI), at somewhere between 20 and 40 million people. It has been cited as the most devastating epidemic in recorded world history. More people died of influenza in a single year than in four-years of the Black Death Bubonic Plague from 1347 to 1351. Known as "Spanish Flu" or "La Grippe" the influenza of 1918-1919 was a global disaster.

Alabama State Summit http://www.pandemicflu.gov/general/greatpandemic.html#al for rest of story

Opening Remarks Prepared for Delivery
By the Honorable Mike Leavitt
Secretary of Health and Human Services
February 22, 2006

That Great Pandemic also touched Alabama. http://www.pandemicflu.gov/general/greatpandemic.html#al  for rest of story

It first appeared in late September 1918 in Florence, Alabama (in the northwest corner of the state). Just three weeks later, over 25,000 cases of influenza in the state had been reported to the U.S. Public Health Service.

It is impossible to know for sure exactly how many Alabamans were affected by the flu, since regular reports to the U.S. Public Health Service were never made. But it is known that during the last two weeks of October, more than 37,000 cases of the flu erupted in Alabama.

People around the state died by the hundreds.

Opening Remarks Prepared for Delivery
By the Honorable Mike Leavitt
Secretary of Health and Human Services
March 2, 2006

That Great Pandemic also touched South Carolina. http://www.pandemicflu.gov/general/greatpandemic3.html#sc for rest of story

The first mention of influenza in South Carolina appeared on September 27, 1918 in the state's public health reports. Four days later, a telegram reported 1,500 cases in the state.

By the end of that month, an estimated 80,000 cases had occurred, resulting in some 3,000 deaths.

While overall figures for the state cannot be known for sure, it is clear that thousands of cases each week sprung up in cities around the state during the high points of the pandemic. Columbia, for example, endured 4,427 cases during the second week of October.

Florida State Summit http://www.pandemicflu.gov/general/greatpandemic.html#fl for rest of story

Opening Remarks Prepared for Delivery
By the Honorable Mike Leavitt
Secretary of Health and Human Services
February 16, 2006

That Great Pandemic also touched Florida.

In 1918, Florida's statewide population was around five percent of what it is today-under one million people.

Despite this scant population, between mid-October and late November 1918, the state reported thousands of cases of the Spanish flu, as well as hundreds of deaths from it.

Other states http://www.pandemicflu.gov/general/greatpandemic.html of 1918-1919

Pandemic Flu datelines http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/healthscience/healthtopics/Flu/Research/ongoingResearch/Pandemic/TimelineHumanPandemics.htm

1918

Major pandemic icon Pandemic
“Spanish flu” H1N1
The most devastating flu pandemic in recent history, killing more than 500,000 people in the United States, and 20 million to 50 million people worldwide.

1957-58

Major pandemic icon Pandemic
"Asian flu" H2N2
First identified in China, this virus caused roughly 70,000 deaths in the United States during the 1957-58 season. Because this strain has not circulated in humans since 1968, no one under 30 years old has immunity to this strain.

1968-69

Major pandemic icon Pandemic
"Hong Kong flu" H3N2
First detected in Hong Kong, this virus caused roughly 34,000 deaths in the United States during the 1968-69 season. H3N2 viruses still circulate today.

1977

 Appearance of a new influenza strain in humans
“Russian flu” H1N1
Isolated in northern China, this virus was similar to the virus that spread before 1957. For this reason, individuals born before 1957 were generally protected, however children and young adults born after that year were not because they had no prior immunity.

1997

 Appearance of a new influenza strain in humans
H5N1
The first time an influenza virus was found to be transmitted directly from birds to people, with infections linked to exposure to poultry markets. Eighteen people in Hong Kong were hospitalized, six of whom died.

1999

 Appearance of a new influenza strain in humans
H9N2
Appeared for the first time in humans. It caused illness in two children in Hong Kong, with poultry being the probable source.

2002

 Appearance of a new influenza strain in humans
H7N2
Evidence of infection is found in one person in Virginia following a poultry outbreak.

2003

 Appearance of a new influenza strain in humans
H5N1
Caused two Hong Kong family members to be hospitalized after a visit to China, killing one of them, a 33-year-old man. (A third family member died while in China of an undiagnosed respiratory illness.)

H7N7
In the first reported cases of this strain in humans, 89 people in the Netherlands, most of whom were poultry workers, became ill with eye infections or flu-like symptoms. A veterinarian who visited one of the affected poultry farms died.

H7N2
Caused a person to be hospitalized in New York.

H9N2
Caused illness in one child in Hong Kong.

2004

 Appearance of a new influenza strain in humans
H5N1
Caused illness in 47 people in Thailand and Vietnam, 34 of whom died. Researchers are especially concerned because this flu strain, which is quite deadly, is becoming endemic in Asia.

H7N3
Is reported for the first time in humans. The strain caused illness in two poultry workers in Canada.

H10N7
Is reported for the first time in humans. It caused illness in two infants in Egypt. One child’s father is a poultry merchant.

2005

H5N1
The first case of human infection with H5N1 arises in Cambodia in February. By May, WHO reports 4 Cambodian cases, all fatal. Indonesia reports its first case, which is fatal, in July. Over the next three months, 7 cases of laboratory-confirmed H5N1 infection in Indonesia, and 4 deaths, occur.

On December 30, WHO reports a cumulative total of 142 laboratory-confirmed cases of H5N1 infection worldwide, all in Asia, with 74 deaths. Asian countries in which human infection with H5N1 has been detected: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and China.

2006

H5N1
In early January, two human cases of H5N1 infection, both fatal, are reported in rural areas of Eastern Turkey. Also in January, China reports new cases of H5N1 infection. As of January 25, China reports a total of 10 cases, with 7 deaths. On January 30, Iraq reports its first case of human H5N1 infection, which was fatal, to the WHO.

In March, the WHO confirmed seven cases of human H5N1 infection, and five deaths, in Azerbaijan. In April, WHO confirmed four cases of human H5N1 infection, and two fatalities, in Egypt.

In May, the WHO confirmed a case of human H5N1 infection in the African nation of Djibouti. This was the first confirmed case in sub-Saharan Africa.

2007

H5N1
In February, the WHO confirmed the first human deaths from H5N1 infection in the African nation of Nigeria and in Lao People's Democratic Republic.

South Carolina State Summit http://www.pandemicflu.gov/general/greatpandemic3.html#sc for rest of story

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Major U.S. Epidemics http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001460.html

1793
Philadelphia: more than 4,000 residents died from yellow fever. More about yellow fever at
http://www.infoplease.com/cig/dangerous-diseases-epidemics/yellow-fever.html
1832
July–Aug., New York City: over 3,000 people killed in a cholera epidemic.
Oct., New Orleans: cholera took the lives of 4,340 people. More about cholera at http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sci/A0812027.html
1848
New York City: more than 5,000 deaths caused by cholera.
1853
New Orleans: yellow fever killed 7,790.
1867
New Orleans: 3,093 perished from yellow fever.
1878
Southern states: over 13,000 people died from yellow fever in lower Mississippi Valley.
1916
Nationwide: over 7,000 deaths occurred and 27,363 cases were reported of polio (infantile paralysis) in America's worst polio epidemic. More about polio at http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sci/A0839526.html
1918
March–Nov., nationwide: outbreak of Spanish influenza killed over 500,000 people in the worst single U.S. epidemic.
1949
Nationwide: 2,720 deaths occurred from polio, and 42,173 cases were reported.
1952
Nationwide: polio killed 3,300; 57,628 cases reported.
1981–Dec. 2005:
Total estimated U.S. AIDS cases: 988,376; total estimated AIDS deaths: 550,394 (Centers for Disease Control).

Common Source Epidemic Diseases

Disease

Causative Agent

Infection Sources

Reservoirs

Anthrax

Bacillus anthracis (B)

Milk or meat from infected animals

Cattle, swine, goats, sheep, horses

Bacillary Dysentery

Shigella dysenteriae (B)

Fecal contamination of food and water

Humans

Botulism

Clostridium botulinum (B)

Soil-contaminated food

Soil

Brucellosis

Brucella melitensis (B)

Milk or meat from infected animals

Cattle, swine, goats, sheep, horses

Cholera

Vibrio cholerae (B)

Fecal contamination of food and water

Humans

Giardiasis

Giardia spp. (P)

Fecal contamination of water

Wild mammals

Hepatitis

Hepatitis A,B,C,D,E (V)

Infected humans

Humans

Paratyphoid

Salmonella paratyphi (B)

Fecal contamination of food and water

Humans

Typhoid Fever

Salmonella typhi (B)

Fecal contamination of food and water

Humans

Host-to-host Epidemics

Disease

Causative Agent

Infection Sources

Reservoirs

Respiratory Diseases

Diphtheria

Corynebacterium diphtheriae (B)

Human cases and carriers; infected food and fomites

Humans

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome

Hantavirus (V)

Inhalation of contaminated fecal material

Rodents

Meningicoccal meningitis

Neisseria meningitidis (B)

Human cases and carriers

Humans

Pneumonococcal pneumonia

Streptococcus pneumoniae (B)

Human carriers

Humans

Tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (B)

Sputum from human cases; contaminated milk

Humans, cattle

Whooping cough

Bordetella pertussis (B)

Human cases

Humans

German measles

Rubella virus (V)

Human cases

Humans

Influenza

Influenza virus (V)

Human cases

Humans, animals

Measles

Measles virus (V)

Human cases

Humans

Sexually transmitted diseases

HIV-Disease

HIV (V)

Infected body fluids, blood, semen, etc.

Humans

Chlamydia

Chlamydia trachomatis (B)

Urethral, vaginal, and anal secretions

Humans

Gonorrhea

Neisseria gonorrheae (B)

Urethral and vaginal secretions

Humans

Syphilis

Treponema pallidum (B)

Infected exudate or blood

Humans

Trichomoniasis

Trichomonas vaginalis (P)

Urethral, vaginal, prostate secretions

Humans

Vector-borne diseases

Epidemic typhus

Rickettsia prowazekii (B)

Bite by infected louse

Humans, lice

Lyme disease

Borrelia burgdorferi (B)

Bite from infected tick

Rodents, deer, ticks

Malaria

Plasmodium spp. (P)

Bite from infected Anopheles mosquito

Humans, mosquitoes

Plague

Yersinia pestis (B)

Bite by infected flea

Wild rodents

Rocky Mountain spotted Fever

Rickettsia rickettsii (B)

Bite by infected tick

Ticks, rabbits, mice

Direct-contact diseases

Psittacosis

Chlamydia psittaci (B)

Contact with birds or bird excrement

Wild and domestic birds

Rabies

Rabies virus (V)

Bite by carnivore

Wild and domestic carnivores

Tularemia

Franciscella tularensis (B)

Contact with rabbits

Rabbits

             

chart from http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/bugl/histepi.htm#types