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Date: 1830–1831
From: Encyclopedia of Plague and Pestilence, Third Edition.
Series of influenza epidemics occurring mainly in Asia and Europe in 1830–31 and believed to be
part of a global pandemic at the time.
The pandemic apparently began (although this remains a matter of some dispute) in China late
in 1829. In October and November of that year, influenza was reported from the port city of Canton
(Kwangchow or Guangzhou). Influenza also occurred in other unspecified parts of China in January
(crew members of a British ship were infected on the 25th) and in September 1830. From China,
the infection was transported along the shipping routes to the Philippines, where Manila was struck
early in September.
Through the subsequent months, influenza may have spread south through the Philippine Islands.
In January 1831, it arrived in Borneo and in Sumatra. The seaport of Grisee in Surabaya (Surabaja)
province in northeastern Java (Indonesia) experienced a severe epidemic late in March. It affected
the inland areas and spread to the island of Madura in mid-April. Early in June, the western sections
of Java were affected, too.
The epidemic continued to move northwest, arriving in Singapore in mid-June, in Malacca at the end
of June, and in Penang in mid-July (all on the Malay Peninsula). Outbreaks were reported from various
Indian cities in April and December 1832, but it is not clear if they were offshoots of this pandemic or
precursors of the next. Japan was also attacked by an influenza epidemic in 1831–32.
The first inkling of the pandemic's presence in Europe came from Russia, in Moscow, which reported
an outbreak in November 1830. St. Petersburg was affected in January 1831. How the pandemic arrived
in Europe is not definitely known. Some believe it may have traveled from China by the overland route
across Siberia and the Urals or via the central Asian republics. Once in Europe, it spread rapidly to
infect the Baltic area (notably Tartu in Estonia) in February and Warsaw in March. In April, Breslau,
Berlin, and East Prussia were invaded; in May, influenza reached Budapest, Prague, Vienna, Hamburg,
central Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. England, Scotland, the rest of Germany, Paris and
the northern part of France were infected in June. In July, influenza penetrated southern France,
the Netherlands, Belgium, and the Swiss city of Geneva. It was quiescent during the summer but
reappeared in Rome in mid-November and spread to Naples and Sicily in December and to Spain
and Gibraltar in January 1832.
Shipping traffic carried influenza across the Atlantic into the United States. The mid-Atlantic states
were apparently the first to be affected; the flu outbreaks in Philadelphia and Boston peaked during
December 10–17, 1831. Influenza cases were reported from Cincinnati as early as mid-November.
The disease progressed slowly south along the Atlantic coast, arriving in Georgia's Burke County
in February 1832. Most of the United States had been affected by then.
Everywhere, the pandemic was characterized by a high attack rate, but the case mortality was quite
low. In Manila and Penang, for instance, the epidemic infected so many residents that normal business
activities had to be suspended. In Java's Buitenzorg (Bogor) province (population 219,415), 51,588 cases
and 277 deaths were reported. No doubt the morbidity rate (23.5 percent) is an understatement, but the
mortality rate of 1.3 percent may be quite accurate. Morbidity (incidence of disease) was 15.5 percent
and mortality 0.3 percent in the Javanese province of Surabaya (311,192 population).
The pandemic spread extensively but mildly and erratically throughout Europe. Ten percent were infected
in Geneva and about 75 percent in Naples. Mortality was negligible in England and estimated at about
2 percent in Glasgow, Scotland. In Boston, total mortality was 20 percent higher, undoubtedly attributable
to the influenza epidemic. The disease was relatively dormant in 1832 but erupted in pandemic form in 1833.
Beveridge, Influenza: The Last Great Plague; Patterson, Pandemic Influenza 1700–1900.
Text Citation (Chicago Manual of Style format):
Kohn, George Childs. "Asiatic and European influenza pandemic of 1830–1831." Encyclopedia of Plague
and Pestilence, Third Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Modern World History Online.
Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=ENPP018&SingleRecord=True (accessed September 19, 2014).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Osterholm in 2005 at http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp058068
> There have been 10 pandemics of influenza A in the past 300 years. A recent analysis showed
> that the pandemic of 1918 and 1919 killed 50 million to 100 million people,1 and although its
> severity is often considered anomalous, the pandemic of 1830 through 1832 was similarly severe
> — it simply occurred when the world's population was smaller.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Encyclopedia of Plague and Pestilence, Third Edition.
Series of influenza epidemics occurring mainly in Asia and Europe in 1830–31 and believed to be
part of a global pandemic at the time.
The pandemic apparently began (although this remains a matter of some dispute) in China late
in 1829. In October and November of that year, influenza was reported from the port city of Canton
(Kwangchow or Guangzhou). Influenza also occurred in other unspecified parts of China in January
(crew members of a British ship were infected on the 25th) and in September 1830. From China,
the infection was transported along the shipping routes to the Philippines, where Manila was struck
early in September.
Through the subsequent months, influenza may have spread south through the Philippine Islands.
In January 1831, it arrived in Borneo and in Sumatra. The seaport of Grisee in Surabaya (Surabaja)
province in northeastern Java (Indonesia) experienced a severe epidemic late in March. It affected
the inland areas and spread to the island of Madura in mid-April. Early in June, the western sections
of Java were affected, too.
The epidemic continued to move northwest, arriving in Singapore in mid-June, in Malacca at the end
of June, and in Penang in mid-July (all on the Malay Peninsula). Outbreaks were reported from various
Indian cities in April and December 1832, but it is not clear if they were offshoots of this pandemic or
precursors of the next. Japan was also attacked by an influenza epidemic in 1831–32.
The first inkling of the pandemic's presence in Europe came from Russia, in Moscow, which reported
an outbreak in November 1830. St. Petersburg was affected in January 1831. How the pandemic arrived
in Europe is not definitely known. Some believe it may have traveled from China by the overland route
across Siberia and the Urals or via the central Asian republics. Once in Europe, it spread rapidly to
infect the Baltic area (notably Tartu in Estonia) in February and Warsaw in March. In April, Breslau,
Berlin, and East Prussia were invaded; in May, influenza reached Budapest, Prague, Vienna, Hamburg,
central Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. England, Scotland, the rest of Germany, Paris and
the northern part of France were infected in June. In July, influenza penetrated southern France,
the Netherlands, Belgium, and the Swiss city of Geneva. It was quiescent during the summer but
reappeared in Rome in mid-November and spread to Naples and Sicily in December and to Spain
and Gibraltar in January 1832.
Shipping traffic carried influenza across the Atlantic into the United States. The mid-Atlantic states
were apparently the first to be affected; the flu outbreaks in Philadelphia and Boston peaked during
December 10–17, 1831. Influenza cases were reported from Cincinnati as early as mid-November.
The disease progressed slowly south along the Atlantic coast, arriving in Georgia's Burke County
in February 1832. Most of the United States had been affected by then.
Everywhere, the pandemic was characterized by a high attack rate, but the case mortality was quite
low. In Manila and Penang, for instance, the epidemic infected so many residents that normal business
activities had to be suspended. In Java's Buitenzorg (Bogor) province (population 219,415), 51,588 cases
and 277 deaths were reported. No doubt the morbidity rate (23.5 percent) is an understatement, but the
mortality rate of 1.3 percent may be quite accurate. Morbidity (incidence of disease) was 15.5 percent
and mortality 0.3 percent in the Javanese province of Surabaya (311,192 population).
The pandemic spread extensively but mildly and erratically throughout Europe. Ten percent were infected
in Geneva and about 75 percent in Naples. Mortality was negligible in England and estimated at about
2 percent in Glasgow, Scotland. In Boston, total mortality was 20 percent higher, undoubtedly attributable
to the influenza epidemic. The disease was relatively dormant in 1832 but erupted in pandemic form in 1833.
Beveridge, Influenza: The Last Great Plague; Patterson, Pandemic Influenza 1700–1900.
Text Citation (Chicago Manual of Style format):
Kohn, George Childs. "Asiatic and European influenza pandemic of 1830–1831." Encyclopedia of Plague
and Pestilence, Third Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Modern World History Online.
Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=ENPP018&SingleRecord=True (accessed September 19, 2014).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Osterholm in 2005 at http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp058068
> There have been 10 pandemics of influenza A in the past 300 years. A recent analysis showed
> that the pandemic of 1918 and 1919 killed 50 million to 100 million people,1 and although its
> severity is often considered anomalous, the pandemic of 1830 through 1832 was similarly severe
> — it simply occurred when the world's population was smaller.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------