Was Influenza a Pandemic?

The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. Although there is not universal consensus regarding where the virus originated, it spread worldwide during 1918-1919.

Is the flu a global pandemic?

Pandemic influenza is a global outbreak. An influenza pandemic occurs when a new flu virus emerges for which humans have little or no immunity, which allows the virus to spread easily from person to person worldwide.

What was the longest pandemic in history?

The Black Death, which hit Europe in 1347, claimed an astonishing 20 million lives in just four years. As for how to stop the disease, people still had no scientific understanding of contagion, says Mockaitis, but they knew that it had something to do with proximity.