0181 Feeling OK? Researchers Recreate Killer 1918 Spanish Flu From Asap

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The Associated Press
Published: Oct 5, 2005

RESURRECTED: Scientists have recreated the killer 1918 Spanish flu virus that killed as many as 50 million people.

WHY?: Researchers say it may help them better understand - and develop defenses against - the threat of a future worldwide epidemic from bird flu.

REST ASSURED: The public health risk of resurrecting the virus is minimal because people developed immunity to the deadly 1918 virus after the pandemic, and a certain degree of immunity is believed to persist today.

FLUS PAST: The Spanish flu of 1918 was a worldwide contagion that in a few months killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million worldwide, including roughly 550,000 in the United States. In severe cases, victims' lungs filled with fluid and they essentially drowned in less than a week. It was known for being particularly dangerous to young adults, a group usually less susceptible to flu complications than older people.

AP-ES-10-05-05 2330EDT

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