This Day in History: , First Cases Reported in br Deadly Influenza Pandemic.br March 11, 1918.br Private Albert Glitchell br reported flu-like symptoms at br the Fort Riley hospital in Kansas.br Hours later, br more than 100 soldiers on the br base reported symptoms.br The virulent influenza br spread to other army bases, prisons br and then across the Atlantic, where br World War I continued to rage.br The virus came to be known as Spanish flu. br The influenza was responsible br for eight million deaths in Spain.br Even after the end of the war, br Spanish flu continued to wreak international havoc.br 28 percent of Americans br became infected. 675,000 Americans died.