Premium
Avian influenza – Is the world on the verge of a pandemic? … and can it be stopped?
Author(s) -
Thorson Anna,
Ekdahl Karl
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of contingencies and crisis management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.007
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1468-5973
pISSN - 0966-0879
DOI - 10.1111/j.0966-0879.2005.00451.x
Subject(s) - pandemic , influenza a virus subtype h5n1 , outbreak , human mortality from h5n1 , highly pathogenic , virology , virus , influenza pandemic , human health , influenza a virus , human influenza , geography , biology , covid-19 , environmental health , medicine , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , pathology
With more than 100 million birds either dead from infection or culled, the present outbreak of avian influenza in Asia is unprecedented in size. The virus is capable of transmitting to man, causing lethal infections, but as yet the virus does not easily transmit from human to human. However, there is a substantial risk of either re‐assortment of virus (combination of avian and human influenza), or adaptation of the influenza virus to humans. If this happens we may be on the verge of a new influenza pandemic with grave consequences both for human health and the world economy. The present situation stresses the importance of good surveillance and updated pandemic plans in all countries.