 | "It's rather fascinating that, maybe even as a corpse, he may be helping others..."
Christopher Simon Sykes | Sir Mark Sykes - traveller, politician and advisor. |
Vital flu clueThe body of a famous 20th Century politician may hold the clue to preventing a global flu pandemic. Inside Out has found out that a worldwide flu epidemic could be prevented by historic knowledge which has been uncovered. Sir Mark Sykes, landowner, politician and diplomat died in France in 1919 of the Spanish Flu, which killed 50 million people worldwide. A court has granted scientists permission to exhume the body of the Yorkshire aristocrat who died nearly 90 years ago from one of the world's deadliest viruses. Professor John Oxford, one of the world's top virologists, believes Sir Mark was buried in a lead coffin which could have preserved the virus. Flu pandemicHistorical researchers from Inside Out have tracked down contemporary records of Sir Mark Sykes' funeral at Sledmere Church and other archive documents to aid the medical team from St Barts and the Royal London Hospitals. Experts believe Syke's remains will help them piece together the DNA of the final stages of the pandemic flu, adding to major breakthroughs by American scientists made in 2006. This knowledge could help prevent a modern pandemic. Flu fact file | A major global flu pandemic killed more than 20 million people in 1918. In 1919 the Spanish Flu epidemic killed 50 million + people worldwide. The epidemic was caused by an avian virus called H1N1 similar to the H5N1 bird flu today. The "Asian flu" pandemic between 1957-58 was first identified in China.
The "Hong Kong flu" struck in 1968-69.
A new strain called "Russian flu" was identified in 1977.
In 2005 two young Vietnamese boys died from a strain of influenza known as influenza A H5N1 or 'bird flu'. |
Sir Mark was working for the Government in the Middle East in the weeks before his death. He sailed home from Syria via London, where it's thought he contracted the virus and died in a Parisian hotel a few days later. Sykes had been tipped as a future Prime Minister and helped draw up the national boundaries of the Middle East that still exist today. Following the new research Sir Mark's grandchildren have had to give their permission for an exhumation to take place. One of them, Christopher Simon Sykes, an author, said: "We all agreed it is a very good thing and it should go ahead. "It's rather fascinating that, maybe even as a corpse, he may be helping others, as it were."
Exhumation plans | | Professor Oxford - hoping to answer key questions |
The Department for Constitutional Affairs and the Health and Safety Executive will have to vet plans for the exhumation, which has been authorised by a church court covering the Diocese of York. The medical team would have to wear sealed suits with their own air supply and work within a sealed inflatable tent. Air would also be filtered to screen out any possibility of the virus escaping. Professor Oxford told Inside Out: "If we can get samples, that will be wonderful for my team and science in general. "It could help us answer some very important questions. "We're on the verge of the first influenza pandemic of the 21st Century andÂ… we think Sir Mark can help us."
Fighting bird fluSo a coffin nearly a century old could hold the secret to fighting a worldwide flu epidemic as Inside Out's Ian Cundall explains:  | | Radar tests on Sir Mark Sykes' grave |
"We were glad to put our researchers' skills to such a useful purpose. "We often investigate incidents that occurred a long time ago but they rarely represent such an immediate potential benefit."
Experts hope that the exhumation of Syke's body will provide answers to questions about the treatment of bird flu and other flu pandemics. Links relating to this story:The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites | 
Inside Out - Yorkshire & Lincolnshire: Friday March 2, 2007
