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Pandemic
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A pandemic is an
epidemic occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting a very
large proportion of the population. The pandemic of "Spanish
Flu" or "La Grippe" influenza in 1918 was a global disaster. This
influenza of 1918-1919 killed more people than World War I, estimated
between 20 and 40 million people. It has been cited as the most
devastating epidemic in recorded world history. More people died of
influenza in a single year (between 1918 & 1919) than in four-years of
the Black Death Bubonic Plague from 1347 to 1351.
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Through modern
medical advances, many of the devastating diseases throughout history
have been nearly eliminated, and most that have not been eliminated
have been reduced in severity so much that a patient can simply be
given a prescription to eliminate the condition. However, new
dangers to human health are still being discovered today. The World
Health Organization and the US Department of Health and Human
Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are constantly
vigilant in the attempt to identify and eliminate these new dangers.
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Currently, the avian
flu of Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa is
gaining increased attention in the media. However, the avian flu
is not a pandemic. There have not been large numbers of human
infection. Avian influenza refers to a large group of different
influenza viruses that primarily affect birds. On rare occasions,
these bird viruses can infect other species, including pigs and
humans. The vast majority of avian influenza viruses do not infect
humans. An influenza pandemic happens when a new subtype emerges that
has not previously circulated in humans.
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 Avian H5N1 is a strain
with pandemic potential, since it might ultimately adapt into a strain
that is contagious among humans. Once this adaptation occurs, it will
no longer be a bird virus--it will be a human influenza virus.
Influenza pandemics are caused by new influenza viruses that have
adapted to humans. Due to the concern that avian flu strain H5N1 could
mutate into human to human transfer, the US Department of Health and
Human Services and the World Health Organization are monitoring the
spread of avian flu and watching it for any changes.
Surveillance, monitoring and tracking disease outbreaks helps health
officials allocate resources effectively and efficiently.
Epidemiologists use monitoring data to predict where and how disease
might spread. It is important to know where disease outbreaks not only
begin in the world, but also how and where they might spread in the
United States. A primary goal of avian flu monitoring is to identify
any outbreak of human-to-human transmission quickly so health
officials can attempt to contain and control the outbreak.
Flu Terms
Defined:
Seasonal (or common) flu is a respiratory illness that
can be transmitted person to person. Most people have some immunity,
and a vaccine is available.
Avian (or bird) flu is caused by
influenza viruses that occur naturally among wild birds. The H5N1
variant is deadly to domestic fowl and can be transmitted from birds
to humans. There is no human immunity and no vaccine is available.
Pandemic flu is virulent human flu
that causes a global outbreak, or pandemic, of serious illness.
Because there is little natural immunity, the disease can spread
easily from person to person. Currently,
there is no pandemic flu.
For complete
information regarding a pandemic, the avian flu outbreak, or other
widespread health issues, visit one of these resources:
Planning for a Pandemic
Planning is paramount
in any emergency situation. Most residents of South Florida are
accustomed to planning for hurricanes, but planning is the benchmark
of readiness for any emergency situation that may occur. The
following links are to pages within the
PandemicFlu.gov
website contain information about planning:
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