Timeline of influenza

This is a timeline of influenza, briefly describing major events such as outbreaks, epidemics, pandemics, discoveries and developments of vaccines. In addition to specific year/period-related events, there's the seasonal flu that kills between 250,000 and 500,000 people every year, and has claimed between 340 million and 1 billion human lives throughout history.[1][2]

Overview

Year/period	Key developments
Before the 16th Century	The outbreak of influenza reported in 1173 is not considered to be a pandemic, and other reports to 1500 generally lack reliability.
16th Century	The 1510 influenza pandemic spread from Asia to Africa, then engulfing Europe. It is the first documented case of intercontinental spread of an influenza virus, with less lethality than future pandemics. The 1557 influenza pandemic spread from Asia to the Ottoman Empire, then Europe, the Americas, and Africa. This flu pandemic is the first to be reliably recorded as spreading worldwide,[3][4][5][6] is when flu received its first English names.[7][8] It is also the first pandemic in which flu is linked to miscarriages.[9] The pandemic lasted for at least two years.[10][11] The 1580 pandemic is well-documented, with high mortality recorded as influenza spreads across Europe.[12]
18th century	Data from this century is more informative of pandemics than those of previous years. The first agreed influenza pandemic of the 18th century begins in 1729.[12]
19th century	Two influenza pandemics are recorded in the century.[12] Avian influenza is recorded for the first time.[13]
20th century	Influenza pandemics are recorded four times, starting with the deadly Spanish flu. This is also the period of virus isolation and development of vaccines.[14] Prior to 20th century, much information about influenza is generally not considered certain. Although the virus seems to have caused epidemics throughout human history, historical data on influenza are difficult to interpret, because the symptoms can be similar to those of other respiratory diseases.[15][16]
1945 – 21st century	International health organizations merge, and large scale vaccination campaigns begin.[17]
21st century	Worldwide accessible databases multiply in order to control outbreaks and prevent pandemics. New influenza strain outbreaks still occur. Efficacy of currently available vaccines is still insufficient to diminish the current annual health burden induced by the virus.[17]

Full timeline: Hippocrates - 2017

Reported cases of influenza in American countries for the period 1949–1958, illustrating the severity of influenza A virus subtype H2N2 pandemic in 1957. Chile (not shown in the graph) was severely hit and reported 1,408,430 cases in 1957.[18]

Specific strains of influenza infection throughout the 20th century.[19]

Influenza has been studied by countless physicians, epidemiologists, and medical historians. Chroniclers distinguished its outbreaks from other diseases by the rapid, indiscriminate way it struck down entire populations. Flu has been called various names including tac,[20] coqueluche,[21][22][23] the new disease,[24]gruppie,[25] grippe, castrone,[26][27] influenza,[28] and commonly just catarrh[29][30][31] by many chroniclers and physicians throughout the ages.

Year/period	Type of event	Event	Geographical location
400 BCE	Medical development	The symptoms of human influenza are described by Hippocrates.[32][14]
1173	Epidemic	First epidemic, where symptoms are probably influenza, is reported.[12]	Europe
1357		The term influenza is first used to describe a disease prevailing in 1357.[28][33] It would be applied again to the epidemic in 1386−1387.[34]	Italy
1386–1387	Epidemic	Influenza-like illness epidemic develops in Europe, preferentially killing elderly and debilitating persons. This is probably the first documentation of a key epidemiological feature of both pandemic and seasonal influenza.[34]	Europe
1411	Epidemic	Epidemic of coughing disease associated with spontaneous abortions is noted in Paris.[34] The illness is referred to as le tac by some contemporaries.[20]	France
1414	Epidemic	Another outbreak of flu is recorded in Paris, possibly the first time the disease is referred to as coqueluche.
1510	Pandemic	Influenza pandemic develops in Asia and proceedes northward to involve North Africa, then all of Europe. Attack rates are extremely high, but fatality is low and said to be restricted to weaker individuals like children and those who were bled.[34]	Africa, Europe
1557–1558	Pandemic	Influenza pandemic spreads westward from Asia to Africa and Europe, then travels aboard European ships across the Atlantic Ocean. Another wave in 1558-59 spreads worldwide with devastating effects.[35][3][4][5][6][34]	Eurasia
1580	Pandemic	[12][34]	Eurasia, Africa
1729	Pandemic	[16][12][34]	Eurasia
1761–1762	Pandemic	[34]	Americas, Europe
1780–1782	Pandemic	[34]	Eurasia
1830–1833	Pandemic	[12]	Eurasia, Americas
1878	Scientific development	First descriptions of avian influenza, termed "fowl plague," is recorded by Perroncito in Italy.[36][37][13]	Italy
1889–1892	Pandemic	[38][34]	Eurasia, Americas
1901	Scientific development	[37]
1918-1920	Pandemic	In March of 1918, 48 soldiers die of "pneumonia" during a, outbreak at Fort Riley, Kansas. Flu travels unchecked eastward[39] to New England military bases before traveling across the Atlantic Ocean on crowded military ships to Europe amid World War I. It spread rapidly through European cities, and was nicknamed Spanish flu for the uncensored reporting in Spain, as moving armies spread flu around the world. Spanish flu returns in waves for the next 2 years.[40][41]	Worldwide; originated in the US, some theories suggest France or other countries
1931	Scientific development	Richard Shope isolates the Influenza A virus from pigs.[42]
1933	Scientific development	Shope and his team discover the Influenza A virus.[43] [44][45][46]	United Kingdom
1936	Medical development	[47]	Russia
1942	Medical development	[46]
1945	Medical development	[48]	United States
1946	Organization	[49][50]	United States (Atlanta)
1947	Organization	[51]	France (serves worldwide)
1948	Organization	[52]
1952	Organization (Research institute)	[53]
1957	Pandemic	[54][55][56][57][34]	China
1959	Non–human infection	[58]	United Kingdom
1961	Non–human infection	[59]	South Africa
1963	Non–human infection	[58]	United Kingdom
1966	Non–human infection	[58]	Canada
1968-1969	Pandemic	[34][60]	Eurasia, North America
1973	Program launch	[46]
1976	Epidemic	[61][62]	United States (New Jersey)
1976	Non–human infection	[58]	Australia
1977	Epidemic	[62]	Russia, China, worldwide
1978	Medical development	[46]
1980	Medical development	[63]	United States
1983	Non–human infection	[64]	Ireland
1988	Infection	[65]	China
1990-1996	Medical development	[66]	United States
1997	Infection	[67]	China (Hong Kong)
1997	Infection		Australia
1999	Infection	[62]	China (Hong Kong)
2002	Infection	[68]	United States
2003–2007	Infection	[69]	East Asia, Southeast Asia
2003	Infection	[70]	Netherlands
2004	Organization	[71]
2004	Infection	[72]	Canada
2004	Infection	[73]	Egypt
2004	Non–human infection	[74]	United States
2005	Organization	[75][76]	United States
2005	Organization	[77][78]	United States (New York City)
2005	Infection	[79]	Cambodia, Romania
2006	Organization	[80]	China (Beijing)
2007	Non-human infection	[81]	Australia
2008	Scientific development	[82]	Worldwide
2008	Service launch	[83]	United States
2009	Pandemic	[84] [85][62]	Worldwide
2011	Non–human infection	[86]	United States
2012	Scientific development	[87]
2012	Scientific project/controversy	[88][89]	Netherlands (Erasmus Medical Center), United States (University of Wisconsin–Madison)
2012	Medical development	[90]	United States
2013	Epidemic	[91][92]	China, Vietnam
2013	Medical development	[93]	United States
2013	Infection	[94]	China
2015	Program	[95] [96][97]	United States
2017	Medical development	[98]	United States
2017	Scientific development	[99]	Finland

See also

• Influenza
• Timeline of global health

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