History – Pandemic Influenza in the United States

Pandemic Influenza is not a new disease in our nation’s history. In fact in the 20th century alone the United States experienced three pandemic influenza outbreaks.

In spring 1918 the United States was on the verge of the worst pandemic influenza outbreak ever recorded, which is now known as the Spanish flu.  It is still debated exactly how the pandemic began but many point to a soldier camp in Kansas that saw the first 100 cases after an unusual smoke filled the air due to the daily burning of pig manure. At the time doctors did not identify this disease as the flu and attributed these deaths to pneumonia.

By fall, six months later, the pandemic had spread worldwide targeting the strongest members of society ages 21 to 34. In October 1918 alone, the city of Philadelphia recorded 11,000 deaths due to the Spanish flu. To this day October 1918 is the deadliest month in our nation’s history, recording the loss of 195,000 American lives to the Spanish flu. In total the United States lost 500,000 Americans. More Americans died of the Spanish flu than all wars of the 20th century combined.

Worldwide approximately 40 to 50 million people died from the Spanish flu.

The Spanish flu lasted well into spring 1919.

Central Ohio was not spared the tragedy of the Spanish flu. Camp Sherman, a soldier training camp in Chillicothe, Ohio, perhaps was the hardest hit area in Ohio. The camp saw 5,850 cases of the Spanish Influenza resulting in the deaths of 1,177 men and women.

The pandemic started just after camp Sherman had welcomed thousands of new recruits. By September 28, 1918 the pandemic had gotten so bad that a quarantine was established and soldiers were banned from visiting town, movie theaters, dance halls and even other barracks. The camp required all soldiers to gargle a salt water mix before and after meals hoping that this would help stop the spread of the mysterious illness. By October 19 all restrictions were removed.

Though the Spanish flu was the most devastating pandemic influenza in United States history the states did experience others. In 1957 and 1958, 1.5 millions people died worldwide, including 70,000 Americans, because of the Asian flu. In 1968 and 1969, the Hong Kong Flu killed 34,000 Americans and 700,000 people worldwide.

For additional information on the Pandemic Influenza outbreaks of the 20th Century visit:

• National Pandemic Site’s Historical Account of Flu Pandemics
• The Great Pandemic: The United States in 1918-1919
• PBS American Experience Documentary “Influenza 1918”
• Timeline of Human Flu Pandemics

Visit our page with PDF files of local newspapers in 1918.

• Central Ohio media coverage and print ads from 1918