Spatial-temporal excess mortality patterns of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic in Spain

Background: The impact of socio-demographic factors and baseline health on the mortality burden of seasonal and pandemic influenza remains debated. Here we analyzed the spatial-temporal mortality patterns of the 1918 influenza pandemic in Spain, one of the countries of Europe that experienced the highest mortality burden. Methods: We analyzed monthly death rates from respiratory diseases and all-causes across 49 provinces of Spain, including the Canary and Balearic Islands, during the period January-1915 to June-1919. We estimated the influenza-related excess death rates and risk of death relative to baseline mortality by pandemic wave and province. We then explored the association between pandemic excess mortality rates and health and socio-demographic factors, which included population size and age structure, population density, infant mortality rates, baseline death rates, and urbanization. Results: Our analysis revealed high geographic heterogeneity in pandemic mortality impact. We identified 3 pandemic waves of varying timing and intensity covering the period from Jan-1918 to Jun-1919, with the highest pandemic-related excess mortality rates occurring during the months of October-November 1918 across all Spanish provinces. Cumulative excess mortality rates followed a south-north gradient after controlling for demographic factors, with the North experiencing highest excess mortality rates. A model that included latitude, population density, and the proportion of children living in provinces explained about 40% of the geographic variability in cumulative excess death rates during 1918-19, but different factors explained mortality variation in each wave. Conclusions: A substantial fraction of the variability in excess mortality rates across Spanish provinces remained unexplained, which suggests that other unidentified factors such as comorbidities, climate and background immunity may have affected the 1918-19 pandemic mortality rates. Further archeo-epidemiological research should concentrate on identifying settings with combined availability of local historical mortality records and information on the prevalence of underlying risk factors, or patient-level clinical data, to further clarify the drivers of 1918 pandemic influenza mortality.

Algunas consideraciones sobre el asesinato de Julio César en la tradición occidental

La figura de Julio César, y en particular su asesinato, constituye un tema central en la recepción de la historia de la antigua Roma a lo largo de la modernidad occidental. En este trabajo se pretende hacer un recorrido más o menos rápido por la recepción moderna de ese episodio y comentar su significación política a partir de algunos ejemplos concretos. En realidad, se trata de reflexionar sobre una variante concreta del asesinato político, el tiranicidio, apuntando algunos hitos significativos de la recepción del caso cesariano como puedan ser el drama de William Shakespeare o la película de Joseph Mankiewicz.

Cartas enviadas por Modesto Bargalló a Justo Garate entre 1967 y 1969

5 cartas (mecanografiadas) ; 215x140mm

Cartas enviadas por Wilhem Bierhenke a Justo Garate entre 1965 y 1967

6 cartas (mecanografiadas) ; entre 210x295mm y 185x295mm.

Carta enviada por Julio César Brigante a Justo Garate en 1963

1 carta (manuscrita) ; 225x165 mm

Prisioneros de los piratas: política y propaganda en la captura de Julio César y Clodio

Este artículo se inscribe dentro del programa de perfeccionamiento postdoctoral en el extranjero del Departamento de Educación, Universidades e Investigación del Gobierno Vasco. Forma parte, asimismo, del proyecto HAR2010-21893: «El discurso sobre el imperio en la República romana: Estrategias de dominación en la oratoria diplomática»