Spanish and Swine Flu Targets 25-35 Year Olds

One of the key differences of the Spanish Flu which killed 50 to 100 million people in 1918/1919 was the fact that young, healthy victims died at a much higher rate due to the way it attacked the body. The virus causes one's immune system to go into a feedback loop called a "Cytokine Storm" in which T-Cells, which normally fight the infection, are produced at a tremendous rate and cause the victim's body to shut down. In many cases the inflammation would severly obstruct the lungs causing the face to have a blue tint. Young adults, with strong immune systems, would succumb to the flu in a matter of days, whereas, children and older adults died at a much smaller rate.



Initial reports of the Swine Flu from Mexico indicate a similar pattern of it targeting young adults as the Spanish Flu of 1918 did. This is a large part of the reason why the response from government and health officials has been so strong.