Common infections role in 1918 influenza pandemic

Two new studies of the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic, which killed an estimated 50 million people, have concluded that common bacterial infections were responsible for most deaths among people who had been weakened by the virus. Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned that "we have to realize that it isn't just antivirals that we need," in the event of a new pandemic, possibly triggered by a mutated strain of avian influenza (Marketletters passim).

The two studies were published by the Journal of Infectious Diseases on-line and the August edition of Emerging Infectious Diseases. The Los Angeles Times reports that a severe immune reaction to the flu virus probably affected most victims of the pandemic, however, most deaths occurred later. It now appears that the damaged lining of the lungs created an opportunity for other infections to trigger fatal pneumonia. Dr Fauci called for the urgent development of new antibiotics, especially against Staphylococcus aureus.