A Worldwide Flu
1 “Flu” is short for influenza. The flu is a common illness. A flu patient often
feels sick for a week or more before getting better. Many people get yearly flu
shots to stay healthy.
2 At times in history, the flu has been extremely dangerous. In fact, the flu
killed more people in one year than the Black Plague did in the 1300s. 3 There are many different kinds of flu. The Spanish Flu was one very deadly strain.In 1918 and 1919, the Spanish Flu spread all around the world. It killed more
than 20 million people. Many victims were between the ages of 20 and 40. The
flu struck first in Spain. War helped to spread the disease. Soldiers carried it
across Europe during World War I.
4 The Spanish Flu began with a high fever, coughing, and sneezing. Then
victims became very weak. Their lungs filled with fluid. They could not
breathe. Many victims died within three days.
5 During World War I, the Spanish Flu killed more than 40,000 American
soldiers. That is nearly as many as the number of troops killed in action. Some
of the soldiers who returned to the United States brought the disease back with
them. Soon people throughout the country were getting sick. At the time, no one
knew what made the flu spread. Luckily, the Spanish Flu died out after 18 months.
6 Since 1918, scientists have learned a lot about the flu. They know that it
spreads through germs carried in saliva. They have also developed vaccines
that help prevent many strains of flu. However, new forms of the disease still
occur. None of them, so far, have been as deadly as the Spanish Flu.
According to "A Worldwide Flu", which event happened first?