For a while last week it looked as if the threat of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus that originated from the Americas was abating, but reports of new cases in Asia and other parts of the world show that a pandemic is still imminent. At the start of the outbreak, the flu was commonly known as ‘swine flu’ because the flu was identified as one that was present in pigs, but it turns out later that the virus also contains aspects of human as well as avian (bird) flu attributes as well. It’s important to note that the flu is not transmitted by the consumption of pork -and so it’s safe to eat you char siew and pork chops. The H and N in the virus’ name refers to hemaglutinin and neuraminidase proteins that are present on the surface of the virus. Of course, the H1N1 virus isn’t particularly new – the worst pandemic in history was also a H1N1 virus. While Singapore is taking precautions against any outbreaks of the H1N1 virus, let’s take a look at some of the flu pandemics that have plagued humankind in the last 100 years.

The 1918 Spanish Flu
Like the present flu, the 1918 influenza is a H1N1 virus which spread around the world between 1918 and 1920. Unlike most flus, the Spanish Flu was particularly damaging to healthy people between the age 20 and 40. The Spanish Flu is notorious for being the worst pandemic in history, resulting in 20-100 million deaths  – more than the great war (World War I) that the world was then recovering from.

The Asian Flu of 1957-58
The Asian H2N2 strain originated in China, which mutated from wild ducks (and hence an avian flu) and then combined with a human strain. By 1957 it had reached Singapore before cases were reported in Hong Kong and the US. An extimated 1-4 million people died from the pandemic.

The Hong Kong Flu, 1968
Like the name suggests, this H3N2 virus originated from Hong Kong, and moved on to claim over 1 million people worldwide. Cases were reported in Singapore and Vietnam; from Vietnam, troops returning from the war spread the flu in the US from California.

Bird Flu
Besides the current H1N1 virus, the Avian Influenza  H5N1 is still one of the largest threats to human health today. The H5N1 virus affects birds, but because of the potential for the virus to mutate and affect humans, outbreaks found in the wild and especially in farmed animals are treated quite seriously, and widespread cullings have taken place in 1997 and 2008.

As you can see, flu outbreaks have plagued the world in the last 100 years and have been particularly devestating, resulting in millions of deaths. Flu outbreaks are particularly troubling for a country like Singapore, because we are an international hub with many travellers passing through our borders everyday. Not too long ago, Singapore was hit hard during the SARS outbreak in 2002-2003, with over 200 reported cases causing 33 deaths. To help prevent potential infections, remember to wash your hands with sanitzers frequently and also avoid human contact if you’re feeling under the weather.