The influenza outbreak that started in East Asia in February 1957 and expanded to Nations worldwide is referred to as the Asian flu pandemic. It is also called the Asian flu pandemic of 1957 or the Asian flu 1957. After the 1918-19 flu pandemic and before the 1968 flu pandemic, the 1957 influenza pandemic was the second major pandemic of the 20th century. Many people believe that the 1957 influenza pandemic was the least severe of the three Chinese flu outbreaks of the 20th century. It killed between 1 and 2 million people worldwide.
The 1957 outbreak was caused by the influenza A subtype H2N2 virus. Research revealed that this virus was a reassortant (mixed species) strain that originated from human and avian influenza viruses. In the 1960s, the human H2N2 strain experienced antigenic drift. These minor adjustments led to periodic epidemics. The new influenza A subtype, H2N2, which triggered the 1968 pandemic by an antigenic shift, supplanted the 1957 influenza virus after 10 years of evolution.
Symptoms of the Asian flu
Similar to many other influenza viruses, the Asian flu causes fever, chills, body aches, coughing, weakness, and appetite loss. Many of the symptoms associated with influenza viruses are caused by the Asian flu. Since influenza is a respiratory disease, those who have it frequently report having a dry cough, sore throat, and trouble breathing. A high fever and chills, or body pain, are the typical symptoms of influenza. A human may lose weight as a result of not eating. It may take several weeks to recover from H2N2, and consequences might include heart failure, pneumonia, convulsions, and even death.
The source and the pandemic
In 1956 or early 1957, the first occurrences were documented in Guizhou, in southern China. In western Guizhou, between the capital Guiyang and the city of Quijing in neighbouring Yunnan province, observers in China reported an outbreak that started in the third week of February. Soon after, in late February or early March 1957, they were observed in Yunnan. The flu had swept throughout China by mid-March.
The outbreak was not communicated to other Nations by the People’s Republic of China. They did not join the World Health Organisation until 1998. However, the US CDC claims that the flu was “first reported in Singapore in February 1957,” which runs counter to the majority of records. Northern China saw a second flu outbreak in late 1957, particularly in rural regions. The Chinese government created the Chinese National Influenza Centre (CNIC) in the same year to combat the outbreak.
Prevention and treatment
When influenza is caused by the type A virus, the antiviral medications amantadine and rimantadine have been helpful. There has been evidence of viral resistance to these medicines, which lessens their efficacy. The late 1990s saw the introduction of a more recent class of medications known as neuraminidase inhibitors. It includes oseltamivir and zanamivir. These medications block both the A and B viruses. Apart from these, bed rest, hydration, and use of analgesics to manage fever continue to be a standard of treatment care.
Deaths from Asian flu
In Guizhou, the Asian flu virus was initially discovered. In February 1957, it made its way to Singapore, and by April, it had spread to Hong Kong. By June, the United States was also affected. The death toll in the US was approximately 69800. Older people were the most at risk. The WHO settled on about 2 million deaths. However, estimates vary greatly depending on the source, ranging from 1 million to 4 million.
Key figures in the Asian Flu 1957
- Wilson Smith (1897-1965) was a permanent figure of that time. He was a British microbiologist and scientist.
- Christopher Harvard Andrews (1896-1988). He was a British doctor, scientist, and deputy director of the National Institute for Medical Research.
- Patrick Playfair, Laidlaw (1881-1940). He was a prominent British physician and scientist during the pandemic.
Summary of Asian Flu 1957
Evidence of a severe flu outbreak sweeping across China started to emerge in February 1957. New stories regarding influenza in Asia caught the attention of Walter Reed Army Medical Centre microbiologist Maurice Hilleman. Because of the number of instances, he believed that a pandemic was imminent and that a new strain of influenza was developing.
A U.S. serviceman sent Hilleman and his group a sample of the virus. They indeed quickly discovered that the Majority of the people were not protected by antibodies against the novel H2N2 virus. However, only a small percentage of elderly individuals who had survived the 1889-1890 flu pandemic exhibited an antibody response to the novel virus.
By providing manufacturers with virus samples and demanding that they create a vaccine within four months, Hilleman accelerated the production of vaccines. About 7 million people had received the vaccination by October 1957. It was during the time when the US outbreak peaked. Between 1957 and 1958, the Asian flu killed over 2 million people worldwide, with 70,000 deaths occurring in the US.