Epidemics throughout history
With recent press① reports drawing parallels② between Bird Flu and a killer epidemic③ in the past, Jim Smith looks through④ the history of epidemics for clues about what the future might hold.
Since Bird Flu first appeared in 1997, it has taken more than a hundred lives⑤. Many people fear it could be the next global epidemic, especially as scientists who studied tissue⑥ from the bodies of people who died of⑦ the 1918 Spanish Flu proved that Bird Flu is a modern adaptation⑧ of the same virus⑨.
Bacteria and viruses have been around since the beginning of life on Earth and many of today's diseases have existed as long as⑩ humans have. It is important to look at? the spread of diseases throughout history? to discover the causes and effects? of epidemics, and hopefully, foresee? and prevent them in the future.
