What is Pandemic Flu?
Around fall or winter, we have come to expect the flu. People start coughing, sniffing, sneezing and feeling generally lousy because of fever and respiratory ailments. This is seasonal flu, caused by influenza viruses.
So how does pandemic flu differ from seasonal flu? The main difference is that when pandemic flu happens, it’s a new or mutated strain of influenza virus we haven’t seen before. Therefore, they can spread easily because people lack the proper immunity. This is why new viruses can become pandemic, or widespread. Symptoms can also be more severe than those of seasonal flu.
The worst example of pandemic flu came in 1918 with the Spanish Flu, which killed tens of millions of people worldwide. Other examples occurred in 1957 and 1968, and experts predict that the world is due for another outbreak — particularly with the ease of global travel in the modern age.
You also may have heard of avian flu, or “bird flu.” Scientists are monitoring certain strains of flu that are prevalent among birds in Asia, Europe and Africa. So far, avian flu has affected just a few humans, but it has been deadly in about half of those cases. The danger would come if an avian flu virus mutates into something that is easily spread from person to person, but that has yet to happen.
The keys to minimizing potential damage from pandemic flu are proper planning and prevention.