PANDEMIC INFLUENZA RESOURCES
PANDEMIC INFLUENZA
These warnings, given to us a year or so ago, are no less relevant today than when they were first presented. Each year we are observing an increase in cases and deaths from avian influenza (bird flu). At the time of this writing we have already seen four cases with three deaths confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Most sobering is the attendant case fatality ratio of 60 percent. In other words, more than half of individuals who have become infected with the H5N1 variant of the avian influenza virus have died.
What does all this mean to us, our families, and our communities? Preparedness is the responsibility of everyone. Preparedness increases chances of survival during an emergency. Although some of our best defenses against the consequences of an influenza pandemic are to plan and prepare, we also need to practice and teach our children behaviors that will reduce the spread of the influenza virus. The non-medical intervention behaviors that we put in place on a personal and community-wide level are critical in our attempts to reduce the levels of exposure and infection not just in the event of a pandemic but during seasonal influenza outbreaks.
Here at the Center for Public Health Preparedness we partner with local health departments, community-based organizations, and faith-based organizations to train and to promote planning, prepping, and exercising for all emergencies including a pandemic.
