Flu : The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus that Caused It

In 1918 the Great Flu Epidemic killed 40 million people worldwide. More American soldiers were killed by the 1918 flu than were killed in battle during WW1. And no area of the globe was safe. The percentage of Americans who died is comparable to 1.5 million Americans today. Scientists have recently discovered shards of the flu virus in human remains frozen in the Arctic tundra & in scraps of tissues preserved in a government warehouse. Kolata tracks the race to recover the live pathogen & probes the fear that has impelled government policy. She delves into the history of the flu & previous epidemics, profiles the experts hot on the trail & the misguided amateurs, & details the science of this mortal disease. Illustrations.Kolata, Gina is the author of 'Flu : The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus that Caused It', published 2004 under ISBN 9780756782771 and ISBN 0756782775.