Etymology

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The term influenza has its origins in 15th-century Italy, where the cause of the disease was ascribed to unfavourable astrological influences. Evolution in medical thought led to its modification to influenza di freddo, meaning "influence of the cold." The word "influenza" was first attested in English in 1743 when it was borrowed during an outbreak of the disease in Europe. Archaic terms for influenza include epidemic catarrh, grippe (sometimes spelled "grip" or "gripe"), sweating sickness, and Spanish fever (particularly for the 1918 pandemic strain).

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