Spit Spreads Death: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918-19 in Philadelphia

Join Marcy Engleman from the Mütter Museum to learn about the history of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic, the scientific and public health response to the outbreak, and the ways the pandemic influenced present-day medical knowledge and responses to infectious disease.

The 1918-1919 influenza pandemic infected nearly one third of all humans on Earth and resulted in over 50 million deaths. The worst hit city in the United States was Philadelphia, where roughly 16,000 people died from the “Spanish flu.” However, despite its significant impact on human history, many people have never heard of what some have called the “forgotten pandemic.” Learn about the history of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic, the virus that caused it, the impact of World War I on spreading the disease, the scientific and public health response to the outbreak, and the ways the pandemic influenced present-day medical knowledge and responses to infectious disease.