Main content

Sequencing the 1918 influenza virus

Over 50 million people died from influenza during the 1918-19 influenza pandemic. Scientists dug into Alaska's permafrost to find traces of the virus to help understand its spread

Over 50 million people died from influenza during the 1918-19 influenza pandemic. Scientists trying to understand why that particular strain of flu was so virulent, dug into Alaska's permafrost to find traces of it to study. Kate Lamble has been speaking to Dr Jeffery Taubenberger who sequenced the genome of the so-called "Spanish" flu virus.

Photo: an influenza ward in 1918. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images.

Available now

9 minutes

Last on

Wed 25 Mar 2020 04:50GMT
±«Óãtv World Service except Online & UK DAB/Freeview

More episodes

Previous

Hong Kong's abandoned children

Next

The Saudi bombardment of Yemen

See all episodes from Witness History

Broadcasts

  • Tue 24 Mar 2020 08:50GMT
    ±«Óãtv World Service
  • Tue 24 Mar 2020 12:50GMT
    ±«Óãtv World Service
  • Tue 24 Mar 2020 13:50GMT
    ±«Óãtv World Service News Internet
  • Tue 24 Mar 2020 16:50GMT
    ±«Óãtv World Service Australasia
  • Tue 24 Mar 2020 18:50GMT
    ±«Óãtv World Service except Australasia, East and Southern Africa, South Asia & West and Central Africa
  • Tue 24 Mar 2020 21:50GMT
    ±«Óãtv World Service South Asia
  • Tue 24 Mar 2020 23:50GMT
    ±«Óãtv World Service West and Central Africa & East and Southern Africa only
  • Wed 25 Mar 2020 03:50GMT
    ±«Óãtv World Service UK DAB/Freeview & Online only
  • Wed 25 Mar 2020 04:50GMT
    ±«Óãtv World Service except Online & UK DAB/Freeview

Podcast