PRINTER'S NO. 4004
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
1064
Session of
2018
INTRODUCED BY WARREN, READSHAW, NEILSON, HENNESSEY, HILL-EVANS,
BIZZARRO, DiGIROLAMO, KINSEY, MILLARD, CALTAGIRONE, VITALI,
DRISCOLL AND DALEY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2018
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
SEPTEMBER 17, 2018
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Spanish influenza
pandemic.
WHEREAS, The Spanish influenza pandemic occurred between the
spring of 1918 and the spring of 1919; and
WHEREAS, The Spanish influenza pandemic was caused by an H1N1
virus with genes of avian origin but there is no consensus on
where the virus originated; and
WHEREAS, Symptoms of the Spanish influenza included normal
influenza symptoms of fever, chills, muscle pain and headache;
and
WHEREAS, Many individuals affected by the Spanish influenza
developed severe respiratory complications, including pneumonia,
which is believed to have caused the most deaths during the
pandemic; and
WHEREAS, Therapies of the early 1900s had little impact on
curbing the influenza and there were no effective vaccinations
available to protect against influenza infection; and
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WHEREAS, Treatment for influenza was largely symptomatic,
aiming to reduce fever or pain; and
WHEREAS, Allies fighting in World War I called this pandemic
"Spanish" influenza because Spain's uncensored press was the
first to report freely on the widespread influenza in 1918; and
WHEREAS, The Spanish influenza is thought to have infected
500 million people worldwide, which was approximately one-third
of the planet's population at the time; and
WHEREAS, The Spanish influenza killed an estimated 21.5
million to 39.3 million people worldwide in three waves,
although some sources estimate the deaths at 50 to 100 million;
and
WHEREAS, Epidemiological data indicates that the first wave
of Spanish influenza in the United States began during March
1918, at Fort Riley military base in Kansas; and
WHEREAS, An estimated 1,100 soldiers at Fort Riley were
affected by the first wave of the influenza outbreak; and
WHEREAS, It is believed that the transport of hundreds of
thousands of infected troops in close physical contact between
camps caused the influenza to spread quickly; and
WHEREAS, The troops then brought the influenza to the army
barracks, military camps and trenches of Europe while fighting
in World War I; and
WHEREAS, The second wave of Spanish influenza was much more
fatal and spread globally from September to November 1918; and
WHEREAS, October 1918 was the most deadly month in the United
States, when 195,000 Americans died from the influenza; and
WHEREAS, The third wave of Spanish influenza was similar in
intensity to the second wave and occurred during the winter and
early spring of 1919 in the United States and worldwide; and
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WHEREAS, An estimated 675,000 Americans died of the influenza
during the pandemic; and
WHEREAS, The majority of individuals who died from Spanish
influenza were young, healthy adults between 15 and 44 years of
age; and
WHEREAS, The first case of Spanish influenza diagnosed in
Pennsylvania was reported on September 18, 1918, in
Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, At the time of the outbreak in Philadelphia, 75% of
Philadelphia's hospitals' medical and surgical staffs were
overseas; and
WHEREAS, This significant personnel shortage helped
contribute to the Spanish influenza's deadly impact; and
WHEREAS, The influenza spread to Pittsburgh three weeks after
it was first diagnosed in Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, By October 1918, 350,000 cases of Spanish influenza
were reported in Pennsylvania, with 150,000 of the cases coming
from Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, By the spring of 1919, it is estimated that there
were more than 12,000 deaths in Philadelphia alone from the
influenza; and
WHEREAS, The high mortality rate and rapid spread of Spanish
influenza illustrates the need to further understand the origins
of this devastating pandemic; and
WHEREAS, Public health organizations, including the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health
Organization, have used their scientific expertise and resources
to address the continuing threat and burden of influenza; and
WHEREAS, Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Spanish
influenza pandemic serves as a reminder of the critical role
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public health programs play in modern society through prevention
of disease and in minimizing the spread of disease to avoid a
pandemic like the Spanish influenza in 1918; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
100th anniversary of the Spanish influenza pandemic.
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