Pandemic / Avian Flu Information and Planning

What is Pandemic Flu?

A flu pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges for which people have little or no immunity and for which there is limited or no readily available vaccine. The disease is transmitted easily from person to person, causes serious illness and can spread across the country and around the world very quickly. The incidence of severe illness and death can be much higher during a pandemic than during annual seasonal community influenza outbreaks; pandemics also can occur in recurring waves over several years.

It’s difficult for health experts to predict when the next influenza pandemic will occur or how severe it will be. However, experts at the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control believe that an influenza pandemic is more imminent now than at any time since 1968, the year of the last pandemic.  

Health professionals are particularly concerned about the continued spread of a highly pathogenic avian H5N1 virus across eastern Asia, Africa and Europe. The H5N1 virus has raised concerns about a potential human pandemic because:

  • It’s highly virulent.
  • It’s being spread by migratory birds to domestic poultry operations and other species that prey on birds.
  • As of early 2008, it has affected over 60 species, including humans, with human cases totalling 373.
  • To date, attempts to control the spread and progression of the virus have been unsuccessful.

Since 2003, a growing number of human H5N1 cases have been reported in 14 countries. The mortality rate for people infected with the H5N1 virus has exceeded 50 percent. It’s believed that the vast majority of human cases resulted from contact with infected birds. So far there has been no sustained person-to-person transmission of the disease. However, experts are concerned that H5N1 will evolve into a virus capable of sustained person-to-person transmission and that this will result in an influenza pandemic.

Currently there are several cities in the United States and in other countries where a vaccine against avian flu is being tested. However, there is no effective vaccine available at this time.

This Web site will be updated regularly with information related to MSU planning, as well as connections to emerging information about bird flu.

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