An epidemic is a disease that attacks many individuals in a particular area at the same time. A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. In just the last century, we have seen three influenza pandemics: 1918: 500,000 deaths in the United States; 40 million deaths worldwide 1957: 70,000 deaths in the United States; between one and two million deaths worldwide 1968: 34,000 deaths in the United States; 700,000 deaths worldwide As medicine, education, and communication abilities advance, the death toll has gone down dramatically. What causes a pandemic? Viruses are constantly changing. A new strain of the influenza virus may … Continue reading →