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Studies on an Outbreak of Influenza in Beirut, Lebanon

An outbreak of influenza occurred among students and employees at the American University of Beirut during the winter season of 1953–54. It appeared in two distinct waves. The first wave, started in the last week of November and reached its peak in the second week of December, 1953, to decline thereafter. The second wave followed the first wave within two or three weeks showed a sharp rise, and disappeared during the first week of February. Hemagglutination-inhibition tests, using as antigens influenza A, A-prime, B and C viruses, were carried out on a limited number of paired serum samples obtained successively from patients in acute and convalescent stages of the disease. The results of these determinations indicated that 1 of 9 patients in the first wave had a 4-fold or more rise of antibody titer in his blood when tested with influenza A-prime virus, and 3 of 9 individuals in the same group had a simultaneous rise of antibody titer against both influenza A-prime and A viruses. Furthermore, 5 of 9 patients in the second wave showed a similar rise of titer in their blood when tested with influenza B virus.