The article describes the moment when the medical and health authorities of Bahia state (Brazil) faced the challenge of explaining an illness that was spreading with unexpected virulency throught the world, provoking much uncertainty and controversy among the global academic and scientific community concerning the diagnosis and etiology of the disease. It analyzes the Bahian medical establishment's stance within these discussions and the scientific knowledge used by medics to explain the epidemic and to recommend therapeutic and prophylactic measures.
medicine; epidemics; Spanish flu; public health; Bahia
