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Hong Kong Flu 1968
About Hong Kong Flu 1968
The Hong Kong Flu pandemic of 1968 to 1970 was caused by the H3N2 influenza A virus. The virus was first recorded in Hong Kong in July 1968 and reached the United States by September, reportedly carried in part by troops returning from Vietnam. The pandemic killed an estimated 1 to 4 million people worldwide. The lower mortality compared to previous flu pandemics was attributed to prior exposure to similar H2N2 viruses providing some cross protection, and improved healthcare including antibiotics for secondary bacterial infections. Vaccines were developed, but in many countries they became available in quantity only after the first wave had peaked. The H3N2 virus continues to circulate today as a seasonal influenza strain, evolving through antigenic drift. The 1968 pandemic was the mildest influenza pandemic of the 20th century. The virus spread rapidly through Southeast Asia, including Singapore and Vietnam, before reaching India, Europe, and the Americas.
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