The Asian Flu Pandemic of 1957

"Having originated in East Asia, a new strain of influenza became known among public health officials as the Asian flu. After having spread across East Asia, the virus reached India in June 1957. By the end of that month, the densely populated country was contending with over 1 million cases of the novel influenza virus. Throughout the summer, the pandemic spread across North America, South America, Europe, Australia, Africa, and the Middle East. In the months that followed, the world was faced with the second worst influenza pandemic of the 20th century. The Asian flu killed an estimated 1.1 million to 2 million"--