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It was the deadliest
epidemic in human history. It circled the globe in a few months, killing more than
20 million people. Some cities and towns saw thousands perish in a few short
weeks. In some remote villages, more than half the population died. The epidemic
emerged out of nowhere, sickened and killed millions, then disappeared as quickly
as it had come. The most deadly plague
in human history remains largely a mystery.
Shocking as it may seem, humanity's deadliest epidemic occurred not in the Middle Ages, not in the time of the waves of bubonic plague that devastated Europe centuries ago, but in this century.
The influenza epidemic that traversed the globe from September 1918 through March 1919 left more than 20 million dead-in sheer numbers, far more than any previous plague. In New York City alone more than 33,000 died.
Time magazine estimated that, if a similar killer-flu virus emerged today, modern travel would allow it to spread worldwide in four days rather than the four months it took in 1918. The magazine estimated that some 60 million could die-triple the 20 million of 80 years ago.
Scientists are only now beginning to unravel the secrets of that extraordinary epidemic. How could an influenza virus-known primarily for its ability to produce aches, fevers and coughs-turn so deadly?
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