Hunting the 1918 Flu

By Kirsty E. Duncan

Book Overview

In 1918 the Spanish flu epidemic swept the world and killed an estimated 20 to 40 million people in just one year, more than the number that died during the four years of the First World War. To this day medical science has been at a loss to explain the Spanish flu's origin. Most virologists are convinced that sooner or later a similarly deadly flu virus will return with a vengeance; thus anything we can learn from the 1918 flu may save lives in a new epidemic.

Responding to sustained interest in this medical mystery, Hunting the 1918 Flu presents a detailed account of Kirsty Duncan's experiences as she organized an international, multi-discipline scientific expedition to exhume the bodies of a group of Norwegian miners buried in Svalbard, all victims of the flu virus. Constant throughout is her determination to honour the Norwegian laws and the Svalbard customs that treat the dead and the living with respect - especially when a live virus, if unearthed, could kill millions. Another theme of the book is the author's growing love for Svalbard and its people. Duncan's narrative describes a large-scale medical project to uncover genetic material from the Spanish flu; it also reveals the turbulent politics of a group moving towards a goal where the egos were as strong as the stakes were high. The author, herself a medical geographer, is very frank about her bruising emotional, financial, and professional experiences on the 'dark side of science.'

Duncan raises questions not only about public health, epidemiology, the ethics of science, and the rights of subjects, but also about the role of age, gender, and privilege in science. While her search for the virus has shown promising results, it has also revealed the dangers of science itself being subsumed in the rush for personal acclaim.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802094562
• ISBN13: 9780802094568
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: University of Toronto Press
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 2.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 8.6"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Hunting the 1918 Flu

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The work involved in the project was fascinating to read. The description of the area where the project took place was vivid. The personalities involved added to the travails encountered in such an undertaking.

You need not be a scientist...

I was initially worried that the book would be filled with complex scientific concepts, but everything was explained so that any reader could understand. The story about an expedition that was in danger of being stopped several times and the sheer determination of Dr. Duncan is inspiring. I also enjoyed learning about the people of Norway, who were so gracious and understanding of the importance of this expedition. I would highly recommend reading Hunting the 1918 Flu, as a reminder that history can and does repeat itself.