Pandemic Influenza

An influenza pandemic is a global outbreak of disease that occurs when a new influenza virus appears or “emerges” in the human population, causes illness, and then spreads easily from person to person worldwide. Pandemics are different from seasonal outbreaks or “epidemics” of influenza. Seasonal outbreaks are caused by subtypes of influenza viruses that already circulate among people, whereas pandemic outbreaks are caused by new subtypes, by subtypes that have never circulated among people, or by subtypes that have not circulated among people for a long time. Past influenza pandemics have led to high levels of illness, death, social disruption, and economic loss.

H5N1 Influenza (Avian Flu)

An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza caused by a strain of H5N1 avian influenza started in Asia in the fall of 2003 and quickly spread in domestic poultry farms. In the summer of 2005, H5N1 began expanding its geographic range beyond Asia. This trend has continued, and human cases of the H5N1 avian influenza have now been reported in 15 countries in Asia, Europe and Africa. This strain of influenza is highly pathogenic, meaning it can cause severe illness and death.

Almost all cases of H5N1 avian influenza have been caused by direct contact with sick birds. The virus does not spread easily from person-to-person. However, flu viruses are constantly changing. No one knows for sure whether H5N1 avian influenza will become easily transmissible from human-to-human, or if it will cause an influenza pandemic . But scientists and government officials believe it could pose a serious threat to our health. It’s something that we all need to take seriously and plan for.

H1N1 Influenza (Swine Flu)

H1N1 Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that cause regular outbreaks in pigs. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. In spring of 2009, a new form of the Influenza A virus was found to be causing disease and death in Mexico. The new virus, now called the novel H1N1 virus, contains genetic components from avian influenza, swine influenza and human influenza.

The symptoms of the novel H1N1 flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular seasonal influenza and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. Like seasonal flu, H1N1 flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.

The novel H1N1 influenza has spread rapidly around the world. The vast majority of these cases have been mild to moderate illness, and the patients have recovered. However, there has been serious illness and deaths associated with this virus, particularly in people with underlying health conditions.

On June 11th, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6 in response to the ongoing global spread of the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus. A Phase 6 designation indicates that a global pandemic is underway. It is important to understand that the term “pandemic” refers to the spread of a disease, not the severity.

What You Can Do to Prepare

Have a good home emergency preparedness plan. Check the websites below for sample preparedness plans.
Become more diligent about good hygiene. Washing your hands regularly is one of the best ways to protect yourself against any kind of infectious disease. It will become even more important during a pandemic, so it’s a good idea to develop the habit now. The same goes for coughing into a tissue or your sleeve instead of into your hands, and keeping your hands away from your nose and mouth. Get used to doing these now so they’ll be second nature if and when a pandemic occurs.
Do all you can to improve your health. The healthier you are, the more resistant your body is to disease. So it’s a better time than ever to quit smoking, improve your eating habits, exercise regularly, and get regular medical checkups and recommended immunizations.
Stay informed. The websites listed below provide regularly updated information about H5N1 avian influenza and pandemic H1N1 flu.