Variable mortality from the 1918–1919 influenza pandemic during military training

Abstract

During the 1918–1919 pandemic, influenza mortality widely varied across populations and locations. Records of U.S. military members in mobilization camps (n = 40), military academies, and officer training schools were examined to document differences in influenza experiences during the fall 1918. During the fall–winter 1918–1919, mortality percentages were higher among soldiers in U.S. Army mobilization camps (0.34–4.3%) than among officer trainees (0–1.0%). Susceptibility to infection and clinical expressions of 1918 pandemic influenza varied largely based on host epidemiological characteristics rather than the inherent virulence of the virus.