The Bird Flu Pandemic Outbreak

H5 outbreaks in 2014 2015 u s.

The bird flu pandemic outbreak. The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history. It is often referred to simply as bird flu or avian influenza even though it is only one of many subtypes. Citing the bird based spanish flu outbreak of 1920 and the h5n1 outbreak in. The asian flu was a category 2 flu pandemic outbreak of avian influenza that originated in china in early 1956 lasting until 1958.

Getty comparable or even higher seropositivity results have been seen in live bird market workers for avian flu e g. An influenza pandemic is a global outbreak of a new influenza a virus that is very different from current and recently circulating human seasonal influenza a viruses. With pandemics explosively spreading a virus from human to human it s never a matter of if but when greger writes. The 1997 avian influenza outbreak also called bird flu was a highly pathogenic avian influenza a h5n1 outbreak known to be the first to be transmitted to humans.

The virus was first identified in guizhou. It spread to singapore in february 1957 reached hong kong by april and us by june. The highly pathogenic influenza a virus subtype h5n1 is an emerging avian influenza virus that is causing global concern as a potential pandemic threat. The spanish flu of 1918 which caused an estimated 50 million deaths demonstrates why pandemic influenza viruses have been the focus of the world health organization and governments around the world.

Influenza a viruses are constantly changing making it possible on very rare occasions for non human influenza viruses to change in such a way that they can infect people easily. Although there is not universal consensus regarding where the virus originated it spread worldwide during 1918 1919. Outbreaks of some avian influenza a viruses in poultry have been associated with illness and death in people in asia africa europe the pacific and the near east. An influenza a virus h3n2 outbreak in china led to the flu pandemic of 1968 also known as the hong kong flu it started in 1968 and lasted until 1969 70.

While very rare some avian influenza a viruses have also caused illness in people in north america. It originated from a mutation in wild ducks combining with a pre existing human strain. New swine flu strain could be the next pandemic image.