Pandemic Influenza
Currently, there is no flu pandemic.
What is pandemic influenza?
An influenza, or “flu” pandemic is a global outbreak of disease
that occurs when a new influenza A virus appears or "emerges"
in the human population, causes serious illness, and then
spreads easily from person to person worldwide.
More people get sick because they have never been exposed
to this virus before and their bodies cannot fight it off.
This allows the virus to spread widely and cause illness among
many people creating what is called a pandemic. The
symptoms of pandemic flu are similar to those of seasonal
flu, but can be more severe. New pandemic viruses often begin
with a bird virus. Bird viruses do not usually spread easily
among people, but they can develop new characteristics that
allow them to do so. This is more likely to happen when birds
and humans live in close proximity to each other. Following
are key facts about pandemic flu:
- Pandemic flu usually starts with a new flu virus (typically
an animal flu virus like the bird flu).
- It causes a worldwide outbreak of serious illness that
spreads from person to person.
- Currently, there is no flu pandemic.
- When a flu pandemic occurs, as many as one in every four
people can get sick.
- No vaccine is commercially available for pandemic flu
– because no one can predict which virus will cause a pandemic.
- Once researchers know which virus is causing the pandemic,
it may take about 6 months or longer to produce an adequate
vaccine.
What can I do to prepare for pandemic influenza?
Currently there is no influenza pandemic, and globally we
are in the pre-pandemic preparation phase. While the thought
of a global disease outbreak may seem overwhelming, there
are many things you can do to prepare for pandemic influenza
and reduce your risk. Fortunately, these actions are similar
to those recommended for any potential public health emergency
and include the following steps:
- Get educated
- Protect your health
- Develop preparedness plans
Get educated. Read about pandemic
influenza and avian influenza from official sources and
pay attention to stories in the media. Local officials will
work with the media to deliver important messages to the public
about any local health issues.
Protect your health. To defend
yourself against illness, implement the following practices:
- Wash your hands often with soap and warm water;
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth as much as possible;
- Stay away from people who are sick;
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve
when coughing or sneezing;
- Get regular exercise, enough rest and eat healthy, and
balanced meals.
The CDC offers additional information on Stopping
the Spread of Germs at Home, Work & School.
Develop preparedness plans. According to
the federal government, "A pandemic is likely to be a prolonged
and widespread outbreak that could require temporary changes
in many areas of society, such as schools, work, transportation,
and other public services. An informed and prepared public
can take appropriate actions to decrease their risk during
a pandemic." (Source: http://www.pandemicflu.gov/, Accessed June
29, 2006)
During a pandemic, what precautions can I take to
avoid the spread of influenza?
The same measures outlined above (get educated, protect
your health, and develop preparedness plans) are the same
as those necessary to prevent its spread. As with
other infectious illnesses, one of the most important preventive
practices is careful and frequent hand washing. Cleaning
your hands often, especially after sneezing or coughing, using
soap and water, or applying waterless alcohol-based hand rubs
removes potentially infectious materials from your skin and
helps prevent the spread of diseases.
General food preparation and safety guidelines should also
be followed. Influenza viruses are destroyed by heat; therefore,
as a precaution, all foods from poultry, including eggs and
poultry blood, should be thoroughly cooked.
Additional Information on Pandemic Influenza
For more information about pandemic influenza, send us an email at fluinfo@sbcphd.org or phone 888-SBCoFlu (888-722-6358).
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