An interactive article on the current outbreak of H1N1 and the virus' impact in 1918:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/interactive/2008/jan/03/flu And for the conspiricist minded: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Sykes "Exhumation for biological research In 2007, nearly 90 years after Sir Mark Sykes died, all the living descendants gave their permission to exhume his body for scientific investigation headed by virologist, Prof John Oxford. His remains were exhumed in mid-September 2008[3]. His remains were of interest because he had been buried in a lead-lined coffin, and this was thought likely to have preserved Spanish Flu viral particles intact. Any samples taken are to be used for research in the quest to develop defences against the next flu pandemic, which some scientists[who?] believe is likely to flare up at some stage in the future as a mutation of the bird flu virus named H5N1. The Spanish Flu virus itself became a human infection by a mutation of an avian virus nowadays called H1N1. There are only five other extant samples of the Spanish Flu virus. Prof Oxford's team were expecting to find a well preserved cadaver.[4] However, the lead lined coffin was found to be split because of the weight of soil over it, and the cadaver was found to be badly decomposed. Nonetheless, samples of lung and brain tissue were taken through the split in the coffin, with the coffin remaining in situ in the grave during this process.[5]Soon afterwards, the open grave was sealed again by refilling it with earth." You must admit, it would solve the unemployment problem. Terry
