Flu Pandemic in New Hampshire 1918 

Dalibor Pljevaljcic 
Lakes Region Community College 
Biol241L: Microbiology 
Prof. Owen Bendixsen 
June 15, 2020
 H1N1 Influenza virus
• Influenza viruses are pathogens, which are the leading causes of acute
respiratory infections worldwide. They belong to a family of viruses
with a segmented genome Orthomyxoviridae. They are classified into
four genera: Influenza virus A, Influenza virus B, Influenza virus
C and Thogovirus. Only Influenza A viruses are antigenically different
subtypes marked with subtype of virus surface glycoproteins -
hemagglutinin and neuraminidase

                                                                       (Wright PF, Webster RG.2001). 

 H1N1 Influenza virus
• Four pandemics of influenza have been recorded in the last 100 years,
in 1918, 1957, 1968 and 2009.year, where the pandemic of 1918 is
considered the most fatal individual event in human history, which
took around 50 million lives across the globe, 675,000 in USA and
2500 of them in New Hampshire.

                                                                                            (Graham 2020)
 Symptoms of disease
• The first symptoms of the H1N1 virus epidemic are described by
Dover health official William Whitely, who said the “grippe”, as it was
initially called, can be seen in patients with mild fever, bone pain and
difficulty breathing due to pain in the bronchial tube. The flu lasts for
about three days and there are no serious results. Death and serious
consequences occur only after the second infection. We can see
from Wentworth Hospital 1918 Annual Report of the City of the
Dover, my only reliable resource, William did not suggest quarantine
and isolation because he thought it was impossible to do so,
but he strictly demanded that everyone refrain from coughing and
not gather in public places.
 Prevalence
• The measures taken in all over state were remarkable. All
public offices were closed, and doctors suggested to NH residence to
follow up orders from President Wilson: “President Wilson urges that
the directions be distributed widely throughout the country. The
President will later order the directions placarded and posted in all
Government departments and army and navy posts. 

                                                                                                        (Huse, 2020)
 Question
• How did government officials in New Hampshire treated the new
disease compared to other states?
 Hypothesis
• New Hampshire State Board of Health officials did much more than
in many states and because of that they have prevented the spread of
the virus and death toll was stopped at 2500, and therefore the death
rate was lower in compare to other states.
 Mortality and morbidity
• The rapid progression of the disease created mass fear and people could
rarely be seen on the streets of New Hampshire cities. This helped a lot in
preventing the spread of the disease (morbidity) and the percentage of
deaths (mortality) was below the established estimate of 2.5% worldwide. 
• I made a comparison of two cities from neighboring states and proved a
lower mortality rate in New Hampshire, as well as measures taken to prevent
the spread of the virus.
• In October 1918, at Memorial Hospital in Penacook, Either Fleury was
contracted influenza virus while treated patients at the hospital. She was the
first known person to die due to H1N1 disease 
                                             (The trained nurse and the hospital review, 1919)
 Conclusion
• Comparing data and texts that talk about precautions, I was able to
prove that although they were faced with a shortage of medical,
primarily professional personnel whose return was expected from the
battlefield throughout Europe, they were able to control the spread of
the disease and thus mortality was much lower than the American
average.
 References
• 1. Wright PF, Webster RG. Orthomyxoviruses. In: Fields BN, Knipe DM,
Howley PM, et al., editors. Fields Virology. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott
Williams and Wilkins; 2001. pp 1533-1579. Retrieved from 
http://www.influenzareport.com/ir/virol.htm.
• 2. Graham Michael (2020, March 10). N.H. Experience With Spanish Flu Puts
Coronavirus Panic in Perspective. NH Journal. 
https://www.insidesources.com/n-h-experience-with-spanish-flu-puts-coron
avirus-panic-in-perspective/
• 3. Huse, Warren. State Board of Health offers guidelines for surviving 1918
influenza pandemic, 2020, April 13. The Laconia Daily Sun. Retrieved from   
https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news/local/state-board-of-health-offers-gui
delines-for-surviving-1918-influenza-pandemic/article_a386083c-79a9-11ea-a
3b8-c3e43a496ed4.html
 References
• 4. The trained nurse and the hospital review, January 1919, page
57. Retrived from 
https://books.google.com/books?id=j1DpAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA203
&lpg=RA1-PA203&dq=The+trained+nurse+and+the+hospital+review,+
January+1919,+page+57.&source=bl&ots=nN3MRVb0wk&sig=ACfU3
U2jwk5np2qgvfrTPCjGYOYtSSzA&hl=sr&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiOs6nd2
__pAhW0tDEKHRVrDsEQ6AEwAXoECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=The%20t
rained%20nurse%20and%20the%20hospital%20review%2C%20Janua
ry%201919%2C%20page%2057.&f=false
.