Click here to Read the Executive Summary of McLean County's Pandemic Flu Plan (pdf file)
What is Pandemic Flu?
With growing public interest in the potential for an influenza pandemic, knowing the meanings of different flu terms will help in understanding how to plan and what to expect. Seasonal flu, pandemic flu and avian flu all have unique distinctions.
Pandemic flu refers to any novel flu strain to which humans have little or no natural immunity that causes a widespread outbreak. It is a respiratory illness spread easily from person to person and can cause global infection and devastating fatality. It is difficult to predict what type of flu virus will cause a pandemic. An effective vaccine for a strain that causes a pandemic cannot be developed until the strain has already emerged and is efficiently spreading among humans. The development of such a vaccine may take months and cannot be relied upon to effectively combat a pandemic.
Pandemic flu should not be confused with seasonal flu. Seasonal flu is a viral respiratory illness to which humans have some immunity. A few strains of A type and B type influenza viruses pop up each year and a different vaccine is developed annually to provide immunity. It is recommended that community members receive this vaccine each year.
Avian Flu, or bird flu, refers to a type A influenza H5N1 which occurs naturally among birds. Humans have no immunity to this strain. Currently, it is only efficiently transmitted by bird-to-human contact. This variant of influenza has garnered so much attention because of its virulence in humans and the potential for viruses to mutate. Experts fear this strain could genetically mutate into one that is easily spread by human-to-human contact, thus sparking the next pandemic.
When will a pandemic hit?
It is unknown when the next influenza pandemic will occur. The scope and magnitude of the next pandemic is also impossible to predict. Pandemics have occurred in 1918, 1957 and 1968. Experts agree that the next pandemic is long overdue, but are unable to pinpoint a timeframe.
A close watch of the spread of the H5N1 variant is underway. When experts observe that this variant has gone under a significant genetic mutation and is spreading easily among humans, a pandemic has begun. However, the avian flu H5N1 variant may not ever mutate. A different strain may emerge. This is simply another uncertainty surrounding pandemic flu.
It is important to remember that a pandemic will not be a sudden event, but rather will unfold over time. Public health officials will know if there is a novel, emerging flu strain that could cause widespread illness and will be able to track it as it spreads. This will enable them to provide timely information to the public regarding what to expect and what action to take.
How can one prepare? There are many resources available to aid individuals, families, businesses and schools in planning for a pandemic.
