Swine Flu Linked to 1918 Influenza Pandemic

May 01, 2009

In 1918 a human influenza virus known as the Spanish flu spread through the central United States while a swine respiratory disease occurred concurrently. A Kansas State University researcher has found that the virus causing the pandemic was able to infect and replicate in pigs, but did not kill them, unlike in other mammalian hosts like monkeys, mice and ferrets where the infection has been lethal.

(Credit: Mike Hiltunen)

Juergen A. Richt, Regents Distinguished Professor of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology at K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine, studied the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic with colleagues from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Their research supports the hypothesis that the 1918 pandemic influenza virus and the virus causing the swine flu were the same. Richt said the virus was able to infect and replicate in swine and cause mild respiratory disease. The 1918 virus spread through the pig population, adapted to the swine and resulted in the current lineage of the H1N1 swine influenza viruses. The researchers' study is published in the May 2009 Journal of Virology.

(Credit: USDA)

"This study emphasizes that an influenza virus, which is known to induce a lethal infection in ferrets and macaques, is not highly virulent in pigs, indicating a potential resistance of swine to highly virulent influenza viruses," Richt said. "It also suggests that pigs could have played a role in maintaining and spreading the 1918 human pandemic influenza virus."

Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza among the animals and can be transmitted to humans. It is a typical zoonotic agent. While swine flu was first recognized as a disease in 1918, there also were reports of the influenza occurring in the Midwest in 1930.

For the study, the researchers used the 1918 pandemic virus and a 1930 H1N1 influenza virus for experimental infections in swine. The 1930 virus was chosen as a virus because it is thought to be a descendent of the 1918 virus, Richt said.

The researchers did not find a significant difference in effects from the 1918 and 1930 viruses in infected pigs. This was surprising, since the 1918 virus killed more than 20 million people and was lethal to ferrets, mice and macaques. Another surprising finding from the study was the rapid antibody response in the animals infected with the 1918 virus, which is not typically reported for the swine influenza virus.

Richt said he plans to conduct a follow-up project that will study what makes a swine flu virus a pandemic flu virus.

Below is an entire PBS documentary on the 1918 influenza pandemic.

Comments

[Carmen]

Same kind of virus, same sort of cytokine storm reaction...

[leolabeth]

@Carmen
Have I missed why we don't we see the cytokine storm in the U.S. sufferers?

[tikno]

Seems the virus has evolved and more resistant.

[Kate Ransom]

Thanks for this info. Makes much more sense than anything else I've heard or read.

[Bet]

It's a better "story" ..doesn't mean it truly makes sense.

Scare tactics raises profits.

[Sarah Hathens]

Interesting, but even more interesting are the numbers of swine flu songs created and posted all over the web you tube ect.

[hunters]

Check out this website http://www.swine-flu-tracker.com/ that tracks the spread of swine flu, it really puts things in perspective.

[bucbandit]

Did the article/story mention that most people died from a bacterial infection and not from the "swine flu"? I thought I read that they jammed everyone into a warehouse and people died from strep throat. That is what happens when you shove alot of sick people into a warehouse.

[Jennifer Viegas]

Many victims were tested for strep, at least at the outset, and tested negative. But secondary infections could set in later, as you indicate. Being jammed into a warehouse doesn't sound good under any circumstances.

[brian]

Web Conferencing lets you telework and AVOID face to face interaction without losing productivity. The VIACK Corporation (www.viack.com) is trying to address this problem head on by offering a 25% discount to any business, individual worker, medical professional, or impacted family member who purchases VIA3 in 2009. Purchasers can use the code “fluworker25” at checkout to receive this benefit.

[chat sohbet]

thanks for you by editor

[Marcel]

It is mostly a matter of prevention, as any type of flu , this is a seasonal illness , we just have to fight it until it winds down. It seems the world has forgotten about the flu pandemic , i can see it is not as prepared as it should be. Cities with the most population like Mexico City , New York , Los Angeles , etc , must be more cautious due to the high population density . A vaccine should be produced and swine be considered in all experiments. Swine closely resemble our genome so they must have the key to a cure or a vaccine.

[شات]

nice
thanks

[toplum]

thanks All these pictures are beautiful, I’m from Ishkashim, Badakhshan and all these pictures make me miss home even more, good job guys, next time take me with you!

[Jennifer Viegas]

Thank you for your note, Toplum. Should anyone ever mention a journey to this part of Afghanistan, I will keep your request in mind.

[Sizegenetics]

Very informative !!

[vimax]

Nice video this is really interesting

[vigrx]

how to limited Virus H1N1

[Vimax]

classic movie make me remember when I was child that no many thing on my head

[vimax pills]

swine flu seems to be created by someone who want to regulate the population on Earth... I don't believe it's a "natural" disease

[Purell Hand Sanitizers]

Those pig pictures make me feel stressed. Dumb swine flu

[modeller]

Thanks. this stuff doesnt work any more dudes..
can smebody suggest smething else…