Influenza Virus Impact On Society

The influenza virus has had detrimental effects on society throughout history. In 1918, the influenza strain H1N1 caused a global pandemic (Billings, 1997). One of the major problems with the spread of H1N1 was that soldiers were living in terrible conditions throughout Europe and were susceptible to the virus (Billings, 1997). Soldiers travelled worldwide, spreading the incredibly fatal virus that had no known vaccine to their families and friends (Latson, 2015). The symptoms of the Spanish flu included weakness and a cough which ultimately resulted in pneumonia and build up in the lungs (“Influenza, 1918-1919”, n.d). The flu impacted countries negatively in an attempt to isolate the virus by shutting down services and placing requirements