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What is Pandemic Influenza?
Pandemic influenza is a global outbreak of disease that occurs
when a new influenza A virus appears in humans, causes serious
illness and then spreads easily from person to person worldwide.
What’s the difference between a pandemic and
a seasonal outbreak of flu?
A pandemic is caused by a new influenza A virus that most
people have never been exposed to, so everyone is susceptible.
Pandemic strains also often cause more serious disease. Because
of this, past influenza pandemics have led to high levels of
illness, death, social disruption and economic loss. Seasonal
outbreaks of flu are caused by strains of influenza virus similar
to those of past years. Some people may have built up immunity,
and there is also a vaccine for each year’s flu season.
When is the next influenza pandemic expected?
No one can predict when a pandemic might occur, but many scientists
believe it is only a matter of time before the next one arises.
Experts from around the world are watching the H5N1 avian (bird)
influenza situation in Asia very closely and are preparing
for the possibility that the virus may begin to spread more
easily and widely from person to person. To date, the spread
of avian influenza to humans has appeared mainly from birds
to humans. There was evidence of some limited person-to- person
transmission in Thailand last year, but avian flu viruses have
rarely been transmitted from person-to-person. If the avian
influenza viruses become able to spread readily from person-to-person,
the risk of epidemics and a pandemic would be greatly increased.
Without a readily available flu vaccine specific to that virus,
world-wide outbreaks of flu would be likely.
Will an influenza pandemic be caused by the bird-flu
in Asia?
Although the Health Department is concerned about avian (bird)
influenza and its potential to develop into a pandemic, we
need to address pandemic influenza planning as a whole, not
just planning for the spread of the strain of avian influenza
now in SE Asia. We don’t know if avian influenza will
spread and develop into a worldwide pandemic. The next pandemic
could be with a completely different strain of influenza, and
could come from a different part of the world. The Health Department’s
planning for pandemic influenza addresses a broad range of
issues.
Although there have been bird flu type viruses seen in poultry
flocks in the USA, it is not the same type of virus as in Asia
and they do not cause serious disease in humans. Public health
and agriculture agencies work closely to monitor and control
these situations.
What risks do Fairfax County residents
face due to the Asian bird flu?
The current risk to persons in this area from the H5N1 bird
flu outbreak in Asia is low. The strain of H5N1 virus found
in Asia has not been found in the United States. There have
been no human cases of H5N1 flu in the United States. It is
possible that travelers returning from affected countries in
Asia could be infected, though the risk of this type of transmission
to the United States is relatively small because the rate of
illness in affected countries is still very low. Since February
2004, medical and public health personnel have been watching
closely to find any such cases.
Will my annual flu shot protect against pandemic influenza?
Changes in the genetic make up of influenza viruses are occurring
all the time, which is why people do not always develop useful
immunity after getting the flu. Current flu vaccines will not
protect against a new pandemic strain of influenza virus. Because
it takes several months to develop and distribute vaccine for
a new strain, a vaccine probably would not be available in
the early stages of a pandemic. If a pandemic occurs, it is
expected that the U.S. government will work with many partner
groups to make recommendations to guide the early use of vaccine.
Are there any other treatments for pandemic flu?
Antiviral medications can be used to treat and/or prevent
influenza A viruses. However, influenza strains can become
resistant to antiviral medications. For example, only one antiviral
medication works against the H5N1 avian influenza virus identified
in human patients in Asia in 2004 and 2005. The supply of this
antiviral medication is very limited worldwide, and no pharmaceutical
company in the United States manufactures it.
Can pandemic flu be prevented?
A person infected with influenza virus can be contagious for
24 hours before the onset of symptoms, and for seven days thereafter,
making it extremely easy for the virus to spread rapidly to
large numbers of people. It may not be possible to prevent
or stop a pandemic once it begins. Some strategies for slowing
the spread of a severe influenza outbreak could include temporarily
closing schools, sports arenas, theaters, restaurants, taverns,
and other public gathering places and facilities. If available,
the use of vaccines and anti-viral drugs may also slow the
spread of the outbreak. However, there currently is no vaccine
to protect humans against a pandemic influenza virus because
the pandemic virus has not yet fully developed. Vaccine development
efforts are under way to protect humans against a pandemic
influenza virus that might develop from the current bird flu
virus in Asia.
What else can be done to minimize the risk of pandemic
influenza?
Stop the spread of germs!
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing
or sneezing
• Wash hands thoroughly and often
• Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth
• Stay home when you are sick
What else can I do to prepare myself for an influenza pandemic?
Learn more and stay informed!
• Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) for the latest information on avian
flu and pandemic flu.
• If you plan to travel to Southeast Asia , go
to the
CDC travel advisories web page for the latest travel
information.
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