title: [The nineteenth-century epidemic waves of influenza].
abstract: The retrospective analysis undertaken by our working group in the sphere of infectious diseases, with particular emphasis on nineteenth-century epidemics, regards influenza, which according to the scholar W.I. Beveridge, was defined as "one of the greatest enemies of man". The work is divided into three parts: influenza, its historical names and the characteristics of the recurrent epidemics from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century among the world's population. This part is followed by treatment and remedial action in the nineteenth century. The third, deals with death attributed to influenza and its complications observed in the city of Ferrara in the years when outbreaks occurred, affecting the majority of the populations: 1830-1833, 1836-1837, 1847-1848, 1857-1858, 1873-1875, 1889-1892, the latter known as the great pandemic.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biotecnologie, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara Beatrice
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Vicentini
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Sezione di Sanità Pubblica, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guidi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Sezione di Sanità Pubblica, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lupi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Sezione di Malattie Infettive, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maritati
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biotecnologie, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manfedini
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Sezione di Malattie Infettive, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Contini
mesh_terms: D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000266:history*; D007558:Italy; D009026:Mortality; D058873:Pandemics / Q000266:history*