This week's lab we went to the Riverside Cemetery in Macon, Ga in order to collect field data of people who died from 1918-1920 who were buried there. This was done in order to produce a life table and get an idea of the impact the Spanish Flu Endemic had on the local population.
The Spanish Flu was a national pandemic of Influenza that devastated the worlds population at the end of the First World War. The pandemic lasted from March 1918 to June 1920. The origin of the flu is unknown but it spread across the world even to the arctic and remote islands of the pacific. The reason it is called the Spanish Flu is because Spain was the only country that didn't suppress news coverage of the outbreak. This outbreak was so devastating because unlike other Influenza outbreaks that targeted young and old victims, this virus primarily attacked young, healthy adults. 1/3 of the worlds population was infected by the flu, and an estimated 50 million, 3% of the worlds population at the time; died. Tissue studies conducted on preserved infected tissues replicated the the virus for study. Researchers discovered that the virus killed by a Cytokine Storm: the overreaction of the bodies immune system. This explains the death of younger victims because their strong immune systems ravaged the body.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Oculmogee National Monument
Today for lab we visited the Ocmulgee National Monument outside of Macon, Georgia. The site traces the over ten milenia of Southeastern Native American culture. The site includes massive earthworks that were constructed by The Mississippian Tribe over 1,000 years ago. This site is located on the Macon Plateau which is a geographic fall line where the hills of the Georgia Piedmont meet with the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The site is located on the banks of the Ocmulmogee river and consists of low lying wetlands and hills. These land's soil were rich for farming, which the local tribes used to drive their economy and trade with Europeans. The site contains a lot of wildlife including tortoises, snakes, and lots of birds who all thrive in the lush wetlands.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Lab 3/31/11
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