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Bird Flu
A Brief History of Bird Flu
The flu has for long attacked humans, though less was understood then compared to nowadays. The following is a brief history of avian influenza.
412 BC – Major epidemic of a suspected influenza was recorded by Hippocrates.
1357 AD – A popular belief held at that time in Rome was that the flu was due to an influence of the stars. Therefore, the term, ‘influenza,’ was coined from the Italian word meaning ‘influence’.
1485 – ‘Sweating sickness,’ with a resemblance to the flu sickened hundreds of thousands of people in Britain. The Lord Mayor of London, his successor and six others died. The Royal Navy was also struck by sickness in her sailors.
1580 – First recorded influenza pandemic. It spread from Europe and to Asia and Africa.
1700s – Influenza pandemics in occurred in 1729-1730, 1732-1733, 1781-1782.
1830 – Major epidemic with high mortality rate spread from Asia to Russia.
1831, 1833-1834 – Influenza pandemics occurred.
1847-1848 – Influenza epidemic swept through the Mediterranean to Western Europe.
1878 – Fowl plague as it was called then, caused high mortality in poultry. It is now believed to be a highly pathogenic avian influenza.
1889-1890 – The ‘Russian flu’ spreads across Europe to North America in 1890.
1900 – Major avian influenza epidemic.
1918 -19 – The Spanish Flu pandemic caused a record number of 50 million deaths in a few months. Recently, it has been confirmed as Avian influenza A(H1N1) virus strain. Highlights of this flu strain include many deaths within the first few days of infection and others of further complications. Nearly half of those who died were young, healthy adults.
1957-1958 – The Asian Flu pandemic caused about 70, 000 deaths in the United States alone. It was caused by Avian influenza A(H2N2) virus strain, started in China in late February 1957 and spread to the United States by June 1957. Re-assortment of a human virus with an avian influenza virus detected.
1968-1969 – The Hong Kong Flu pandemic caused some 34,000 deaths in the United States alone. The Avian influenza A(H3N2) virus was first detected in Hong Kong in early 1968 and spread to the United States by the end. Re-assortment of an avian influenza virus and a human virus found.
1983-1984 – In the United States, Avian influenza A(H5N2) virus began with low mortality and within six months became highly pathogenic, with a mortality rate of about 90%. Nearly 17 million birds were culled to control the disease.
1997 – In Hong Kong, Avian influenza A(H5N1) infections occurred in both poultry and humans. It is the first ever instance of an avian influenza virus jump form birds to humans. 6 of 18 infected people died. About 1.5 million chickens culled to contain the virus.
1999 – In China and Hong Kong, several Avian influenza A(H9N2) human infections were reported.
1999-2001 – In Italy, Avian influenza A(H7N1) virus began as a low pathogenic virus and within 9 months became highly pathogenic lead to a loss of 13 million birds.
2002 – In Virginia, outbreak of H7N2 among poultry in the Shenandoah Valley reported, one person infected.
2003 – In China, two cases of avian influenza A H5N1 infection occurred in a visiting Hong Kong family. One person recovered while the other died in Hong Kong. Another family member died, untested, of a respiratory illness in China.
2003 – In Netherlands outbreaks of influenza A H7N7 reported in poultry and spread to pigs and 89 people, mostly poultry workers. One of them died and 3 cases were reported as poultry-to-workers-to-family-member transmission.
2003 – In Hong Kong, Avian influenza A H9N2 infection was confirmed in a child who recovered.
In New York, 2003 – Confirmatory tests conducted on a patient detected an avian influenza A(H7N2).
2004: In Thailand and Vietnam, highly pathogenic influenza A(H5N1) in was first reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). 23 deaths out of 35 human infections recorded.
2004 – In Canada, Human infections of A(H7N3) among poultry workers reported.
2004 – In Thailand and Vietnam, in late June 2004, new lethal outbreaks of A(H5N1) among poultry were reported and followed by a few human cases. Highlights include a rare suspected human-to-human transmission case in Thailand. The avian influenza epidemic also led to the death or killing of millions of birds.
2005 – 06 – the virility of A(H5N1) spreads across the globe and lethality of virus also increased. Epidemic is short of pandemic, caused up to 100 deaths out of more than 200 human infections across the globe. South East Asia and China are worst hit with Indonesia recording for half of human deaths.
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