Resumen

CARBONETTI, Adrián. History of a forgotten epidemic: The pandemic of Spanish flu in Argentina, 1918-1919. Desacatos [online]. 2010, n.32, pp. 159-174. ISSN 1405-9274.

The Spanish Influenza epidemic in Argentina is a forgotten reality, since up to now, and because of several reasons, it has not been considered as a research object. The truth is that this epidemic produced a high mortality, and exhibited the powerlessness of the State and the medical elite, facing a phenomenon difficult to fight. In this article, a preliminary analysis of its incidence is undertaken, giving an account of the mortality provoked in each Argentinean province and nationwide; its progression throughout the territory of Argentina; the reasons for its whimsical path of development, and the social and sanitary conditions prevailing among the population. Finally, we refer to the policies implemented to combat this epidemic and their social and political impacts.

Palabras llave : Spanish Influenza; Argentina; State; medicine; mortality.