aug 17, 1918 - Influenza epidemic spreads

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World War I took over 16 million lives. While influenza took 50 million. Originally only a few deaths were reported. Most people got better but in the fall it became so much more severe. Some people died only a couple of hours after getting any symptoms. Other it took a few hours and then they could not breathe because their lungs filled up and they suffocated. It was more rampant in urban and rural areas. Young adults were usually fine. The people that were the most in danger were the elderly and young children. Influenza spread quickly across Europe in places like Spain, France, Great Britain, and Italy. It also hit the U.S. and some others. One-fifth of the world's population was attacked by this virus. So many people died because of this virus. Most think that influenza or the Spanish flu originated in the U.S., because on of the first cases was at Fort Riley at Kansas.

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