A pandemic (from Greek παν pan all + δήμος demos people) is an epidemic of infectious disease that spreads through human populations across a large region (for example a continent), or even worldwide. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly In Epidemiology, an epidemic (from Greek epi- upon + demos people is a classification of a disease that appears as new cases in a An infectious disease is a clinically evident Disease resulting from the presence of Pathogenic microbial agents including Pathogenic viruses Pathogenic

Contents 1 Definition 2 WHO pandemic influenza phases 3 Pandemics and notable epidemics through history 4 Concern about possible future pandemics 4.1 Ebola virus and other quickly lethal diseases 4.2 Antibiotic resistance 4.3 HIV infection 4.4 SARS 4.5 Influenza 4.6 H5N1 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

Definition

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a pandemic can start when three conditions have been met:

• the emergence of a disease new to the population.
• the agent infects humans, causing serious illness.
• the agent spreads easily and sustainably among humans.

A disease or condition is not a pandemic merely because it is widespread or kills many people; it must also be infectious. For example cancer is responsible for many deaths but is not considered a pandemic because the disease is not infectious or contagious (although certain causes of some types of cancer might be). Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled

WHO pandemic influenza phases

The World Health Organization global influenza preparedness plan defines the stages of pandemic influenza, outlines the role of WHO and makes recommendations for national measures before and during a pandemic. Note For information about the content tone and sourcing of this article please see the tags at the bottom of this page The phases are:

Interpandemic period:

• Phase 1: No new influenza virus subtypes have been detected in humans. A virus (from the Latin virus meaning Toxin or Poison) is a sub-microscopic infectious agent that is unable
• Phase 2: No new influenza virus subtypes have been detected in humans, but an animal variant threatens human disease.

Pandemic alert period:

• Phase 3: Human infection(s) with a new subtype but no human-to-human spread.
• Phase 4: Small cluster(s) with limited localized human-to-human transmission
• Phase 5: Larger cluster(s) but human-to-human spread still localized.

Pandemic period:

• Phase 6: Increased and sustained transmission in general population.

Pandemics and notable epidemics through history

There have been a number of significant pandemics recorded in human history, generally zoonoses that came about with domestication of animals — such as influenza and tuberculosis. History is the study of the past particularly the written record Those who study history as a Profession are called Historians Etymology A zoonosis (ˌzoʊəˈnoʊsɨs or zoonose is any Infectious disease that is able to be transmitted (by a vector) from other Animals both wild and domestic Domestication (from Latin domesticus) refers to the process whereby a Population of Animals Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus or T u' b' erculosis Bacillus --> is a common There have been a number of particularly significant epidemics that deserve mention above the "mere" destruction of cities:

• Peloponnesian War, 430 BC. In Epidemiology, an epidemic (from Greek epi- upon + demos people is a classification of a disease that appears as new cases in a Events By place Greece The army of Sparta loots Attica for a second time but Pericles is not daunted and refuses Typhoid fever killed a quarter of the Athenian troops and a quarter of the population over four years. Typhoid fever, also known as enteric fever, bilious fever, Yellow Jack or commonly just typhoid, is an illness caused by the Bacterium This disease fatally weakened the dominance of Athens, but the sheer virulence of the disease prevented its wider spread; i. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's e. it killed off its hosts at a rate faster than they could spread it. The exact cause of the plague was unknown for many years; in January 2006, researchers from the University of Athens analyzed teeth recovered from a mass grave underneath the city, and confirmed the presence of bacteria responsible for typhoid. January 2006: ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Εθνικόν και Καποδιστριακόν Πανεπιστήμιον Αθηνών usually referred to simply as the A mass grave is a grave containing multiple usually unidentified human corpses The Bacteria ( singular: bacterium) are a large group of unicellular Microorganisms Typically a few Micrometres in length bacteria have [1]
• Antonine Plague, 165 – 180. The Antonine Plague, 165 - 180 AD  also known as the Plague of Galen, was an ancient Pandemic, either of Smallpox or Measles Events By place Roman Empire The praetorian prefect Tarutenius Paternus achieved a decisive victory against the Quadi Possibly smallpox brought to the Italian peninsula by soldiers returning from the Near East; killed a quarter of those infected and up to five million in all. Smallpox is an Infectious disease unique to humans caused by either of two virus variants named Variola major and Variola minor. At the height of a second outbreak (251–266) 5,000 people a day were said to be dying in Rome. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2
• Plague of Justinian, from 541 to 750, was the first recorded outbreak of the bubonic plague. The Plague of Justinian was a Pandemic that afflicted the Byzantine Empire, including its capital Constantinople, in the years 541 – 542 Events By Place Byzantine Empire January 1 — Anicius Faustus Albinus Basilius is appointed as Consul in Events By Geography Asia Gopala is proclaimed as the first ruler of the Pala Empire. Bubonic plague is the best-known manifestation of the bacterial disease plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis (formerly known as It started in Egypt and reached Constantinople the following spring, killing (according to the Byzantine chronicler Procopius) 10,000 a day at its height and perhaps 40% of the city's inhabitants. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS Procopius of Caesarea ( Προκόπιος ο Καισαρεύς, c Plague went on to eliminate a quarter to a half of the human population that it struck throughout the known world. The world population is the total number of living Humans on Earth at a given time ^[1] It caused Europe's population to drop by around 50% between 550 and 700. Medieval Demography is the study of human Demography in Europe during the Middle Ages. ^[2]
• Black Death, started 1300s. The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia Eight hundred years after the last outbreak, the bubonic plague returned to Europe. Bubonic plague is the best-known manifestation of the bacterial disease plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis (formerly known as Starting in Asia, the disease reached Mediterranean and western Europe in 1348 (possibly from Italian merchants fleeing fighting in the Crimea), and killed 20 to 30 million Europeans in six years,^[3] a third of the total population and up to a half in the worst-affected urban areas. Crimea (kraɪˈmiːə or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Крим Автономна Республіка Крим Avtonomna Respublika Krym; Крым ^[4]
• Cholera
  • The First Pandemic 1816 – 1826. Cholera, sometimes known as Asiatic cholera or epidemic cholera, is an infectious Gastroenteritis caused by the Bacterium Year 1816 ( MDCCCXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year For the game see 1826 (board game. Year 1826 ( MDCCCXXVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display Previously restricted to the Indian subcontinent, the pandemic began in Bengal, then spread across India by 1820. This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia For geopolitical treatments see South Asia. Etymology and ethnology The exact origin of the word Bangla or Bengal is unknown though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang It extended as far as China and the Caspian Sea before receding. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged Sea.
  • The Second Pandemic (1829–1851) reached Europe, London in 1832, Ontario Canada and New York in the same year, and the Pacific coast of North America by 1834. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous
  • The Third Pandemic (1852–1860) mainly affected Russia, with over a million deaths. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending
  • The Fourth Pandemic (1863–1875) spread mostly in Europe and Africa.
  • In 1866 there was an outbreak in North America.
  • In 1892 cholera contaminated the water supply of Hamburg, Germany, and caused 8,606 deaths. Hamburg (English, German: ˈhambʊɐk local pronunciation Low German / Low Saxon: Hamborg) is the second-largest city in Germany ^[5]
  • The seventh pandemic (1899–1923) had little effect in Europe because of advances in public health, but Russia was badly affected again. Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts and informed choices of society organisations
  • The eighth pandemic began in Indonesia in 1961, called El Tor after the strain, and reached Bangladesh in 1963, India in 1964, and the USSR in 1966. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. El Tor is the name given to a particular strain of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of Cholera. ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991
• Influenza
  • The "first" pandemic of 1510 travelled from Africa and spread across Europe. ^[6][7]
  • The "Asiatic Flu", 1889–1890. Was first reported in May of 1889 in Bukhara, Russia. Bukhara (Buxoro Бухоро بُخارا Бухара also spelled as Bukhoro and Bokhara, from the Soghdian βuxārak ("lucky By October, it had reached Tomsk and the Caucasus. Tomsk (Томск is a city on the Tom River in the southwest of Siberian Federal District, Russia, the administrative centre of The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East It rapidly spread west and hit North America in December 1889, South America in February – April 1890, India in February-March 1890, and Australia in March – April 1890. It was purportedly caused by the H2N8 type of flu virus and had a very high attack and mortality rate. Mortality rate is a measure of the number of Deaths (in general or due to a specific cause in some population scaled to the size of that population per unit time
  • The "Spanish flu", 1918–1919. The 1918 flu pandemic (commonly referred to as the Spanish flu) was an Influenza Pandemic that spread to nearly every part of the world First identified early March 1918 in US troops training at Camp Funston, Kansas, by October 1918 it had spread to become a world-wide pandemic on all continents. Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " Unusually deadly and virulent, it ended nearly as quickly as it began, vanishing completely within 18 months. In six months, 25 million were dead; some estimates put the total of those killed worldwide at over twice that number. An estimated 17 million died in India, 500,000 in the United States and 200,000 in the UK. The virus was recently reconstructed by scientists at the CDC studying remains preserved by the Alaskan permafrost. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (or CDC) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services based in unincorporated This article is about frozen ground For other meanings see Permafrost (disambiguation. They identified it as a type of H1N1 virus. H1[[Neuraminidase N1]] is a subtype of the species Influenza A virus.
  • The "Asian Flu", 1957–58. H2N2 is a subtype of the species Influenza A virus (sometimes called bird flu virus An H2N2 caused about 70,000 deaths in the United States. First identified in China in late February 1957, the Asian flu spread to the United States by June 1957.
  • The "Hong Kong Flu", 1968–69. H3N2 is a subtype of the influenza A virus. Its name derives from the forms of the two kinds of Proteins on the surface of its coat Hemagglutinin (H and An H3N2 caused about 34,000 deaths in the United States. This virus was first detected in Hong Kong in early 1968 and spread to the United States later that year. Influenza A (H3N2) viruses still circulate today. H3N2 is a subtype of the influenza A virus. Its name derives from the forms of the two kinds of Proteins on the surface of its coat Hemagglutinin (H and
• Typhus, sometimes called "camp fever" because of its pattern of flaring up in times of strife. Typhus is any of several similar diseases caused by Louse -borne bacteria (It is also known as "gaol fever" and "ship fever", for its habits of spreading wildly in cramped quarters, such as jails and ships. ) Emerging during the Crusades, it had its first impact in Europe in 1489 in Spain. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. During fighting between the Christian Spaniards and the Muslims in Granada, the Spanish lost 3,000 to war casualties and 20,000 to typhus. Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous region of Andalusia, Spain. In 1528 the French lost 18,000 troops in Italy and lost supremacy in Italy to the Spanish. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest In 1542, 30,000 people died of typhus while fighting the Ottomans in the Balkans. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The disease also played a major role in the destruction of Napoleon's Grande Armée in Russia in 1812. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. Typhus also killed numerous prisoners in the Nazi concentration camps and Soviet prisoner of war camps during World War II. Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people commonly in large groups without trial
• Effects of Colonization. Colonisation (also known as Colonization) occurs whenever any one or more species populates a new area Encounters between European explorers and populations in the rest of the world often introduced local epidemics of extraordinary virulence. Disease killed the entire native (Guanches) population of the Canary Islands in the 16th century. See also Canary Islands in pre-colonial times Guanches (also Guanchis or Guanchos) now extinct as a distinct people were the first known The Canary Islands ( English pronunciation kəˈnæriː ˈaɪləndz Spanish: Islas Canarias, ˈizlas kaˈnarjas are a Spanish Half the native population of Hispaniola in 1518 was killed by smallpox. Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is the second-largest and most populous Island of the Antilles, lying between the islands of Smallpox is an Infectious disease unique to humans caused by either of two virus variants named Variola major and Variola minor. Smallpox also ravaged Mexico in the 1520s, killing 150,000 in Tenochtitlán alone, including the emperor, and Peru in the 1530s, aiding the European conquerors. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. There are some towns in Mexico which are spelled "Tenochtitlán" like San Lorenzo Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Measles killed a further two million Mexican natives in the 1600s. Measles (rubeola is a Disease caused by a virus specifically a Paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Some believe that the death of 90 to 95 percent of the Native American population of the New World was caused by Old World diseases. It is thought that up to 100 million indigenous people may have lived in The Americas when the 1492 voyage of Christopher Columbus began a historical period of large-scale The New World is one of the names used for the non-Eurasian/non-African parts of the Earth specifically the Americas and Australia. The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans Asians and Africans in the 15th century As late as 1848–49, as many as 40,000 out of 150,000 Hawaiians are estimated to have died of measles, whooping cough and influenza. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the Measles (rubeola is a Disease caused by a virus specifically a Paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious Disease caused by the Bacterium Bordetella pertussis; it derived its ^[8][9]
• Dengue. Spread of Dengue disease in South Asia by a mosquito.

There are also a number of unknown diseases that were extremely serious but have now vanished, so the etiology of these diseases cannot be established. Etiology (alternatively aetiology, aitiology) is the study of causation. The cause of English Sweat in 16th-century England, which struck people down in an instant and was more greatly feared even than the bubonic plague, is still unknown. Sweating sickness, also known as the "English sweate" (sudor anglicus was a mysterious and highly virulent disease which struck England and later Bubonic plague is the best-known manifestation of the bacterial disease plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis (formerly known as

Concern about possible future pandemics

Ebola virus and other quickly lethal diseases

Lassa fever, Rift Valley fever, Marburg virus, Ebola virus and Bolivian hemorrhagic fever are highly contagious and deadly diseases with the theoretical potential to become pandemics. Lassa fever is an acute viral Hemorrhagic fever first described in 1969 in the town of Lassa in Borno State, Nigeria located in the Rift Valley Fever (RVF is a viral Zoonosis (affects primarily domestic Livestock, but can be passed to humans causing Fever. The Marburg virus is the causative agent of Marburg haemorrhagic fever (also known as green monkey disease) Ebola is the common term for a group of Viruses belonging to genus Ebolavirus, family Filoviridae, and for the disease which they Bolivian hemorrhagic fever ( BHF) also known as black typhus or Machupo virus, is a Hemorrhagic fever and zoonotic Infectious Their ability to spread efficiently enough to cause a pandemic is limited, however, as transmission of these viruses requires close contact with the infected vector. Furthermore, the short time between a vector becoming infectious and the onset of symptoms allows medical professionals to quickly quarantine vectors and prevent them from carrying the pathogen elsewhere. For other uses see Quarantine (disambiguation Quarantine is voluntary or compulsory isolation typically to contain the spread of something Genetic mutations could occur which could elevate their potential for causing widespread harm, thus close observation by contagious disease specialists is merited.

Antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, sometimes referred to as "superbugs", may contribute to the re-emergence of diseases which are currently well-controlled. Antibiotic resistance is the ability of a Microorganism to withstand the effects of Antibiotics. For example, cases of tuberculosis that are resistant to traditionally effective treatments remain a cause of great concern to health professionals. Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus or T u' b' erculosis Bacillus --> is a common The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that approximately 50 million people worldwide are infected with multiple-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB), with 79 percent of those cases resistant to three or more antibiotics. In 2005, 124 cases of MDR TB were reported in the United States. Multi-drug resistant Tuberculosis ( MDR-TB) is defined as TB that is resistant at least to isoniazid (INH and rifampicin (RMP. Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB) was identified in Africa in 2006, and subsequently discovered to exist in 17 countries including the United States. Extensively drug-resistant Tuberculosis ( XDR-TB) is a form of TB caused by bacteria that is resistant to the most effective anti-TB drugs

In the past 20 years, common bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus, Serratia marcescens and Enterococcus, have developed resistance to various antibiotics such as vancomycin, as well as whole classes of antibiotics, such as the aminoglycosides and cephalosporins. Staphylococcus aureus (ˌstæfɨləˈkɒkəs ˈɔriəs literally "Golden Cluster Seed" and also known as golden staph) is the most common cause of Serratia marcescens is a species of Gram-negative Bacterium in the family Enterobacteriaceae. Enterococcus is a Genus of Lactic acid bacteria of the phylum Firmicutes. In modern usage an antibiotic is a Chemotherapeutic agent with activity against Microorganisms such as Bacteria, fungi or Protozoa Vancomycin ( INN) (ˌvæŋkoʊˈmaɪsɪn is a Glycopeptide Antibiotic used in the Prophylaxis and treatment of infections caused by An aminoglycoside is a molecule composed of a sugar group and an Amino group The cephalosporins (ˌsɛfələˈspɔrən/ /ˌkɛfə- are a class of β-lactam antibiotics. Antibiotic-resistant organisms have become an important cause of health care-associated (nosocomial) infections (HAI). In addition, infections caused by community-acquired strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in otherwise healthy individuals, have become more frequent in recent years.

HIV infection

HIV — the virus that causes AIDS — is of pandemic proportions with infection rates as high as 25% in southern and eastern Africa. Human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) is a Lentivirus (a member of the Retrovirus family that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome Effective education about safer sexual practices and bloodborne infection precautions training have helped to slow down infection rates in several African countries sponsoring national education programs. A blood-borne disease is one that can be spread by contamination by Blood. Infection rates are rising again in Asia and the Americas. See AIDS pandemic. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ( AIDS) has led to the deaths of more than 25 million people since it was first recognized in 1981, making it one of

SARS

In 2003, there were concerns that SARS, a new, highly contagious form of atypical pneumonia caused by a coronavirus dubbed SARS-CoV, might become pandemic. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Atypical pneumonia is a term used to describe a form of Pneumonia not caused by one of the more traditional pathogens Coronavirus is a genus of animal Virus belonging to the family Coronaviridae. The SARS coronavirus, sometimes shortened to SARS-CoV, is the virus that causes Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS Rapid action by national and international health authorities such as the World Health Organization helped slow transmission and eventually broke the chain of transmission, ending the localized epidemics before they could become a pandemic. The disease has not been eradicated, however, and could re-emerge unexpectedly, warranting monitoring and case reporting of suspicious cases of atypical pneumonia.

Influenza

Main article: Influenza pandemic

Wild aquatic birds are the natural hosts for a range of influenza A viruses. Note For information about the content tone and sourcing of this article please see the tags at the bottom of this page Occasionally viruses are transmitted from these species to other species and may then cause outbreaks in domestic poultry or (rarely) give rise to a human pandemic. ^{[10] [11]}

H5N1

Main article: H5N1

In February 2004, avian influenza virus was detected in birds in Vietnam, increasing fears of the emergence of new variant strains. Influenza A virus subtype H5[[Neuraminidase N1]], also known as A(H5N1 or simply H5N1, is a subtype of the Influenza A virus which can cause "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " For the H5N1 subtype of Avian influenza see H5N1. Avian influenza, sometimes Avian flu, and commonly Bird flu refers Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially It is feared that if the avian influenza virus combines with a human influenza virus (in a bird or a human), the new subtype created could be both highly contagious and highly lethal in humans. Such a subtype could cause a global influenza pandemic, similar to the Spanish Flu, or the lower mortality pandemics such as the Asian Flu and the Hong Kong Flu. The 1918 flu pandemic (commonly referred to as the Spanish flu) was an Influenza Pandemic that spread to nearly every part of the world H2N2 is a subtype of the species Influenza A virus (sometimes called bird flu virus H3N2 is a subtype of the influenza A virus. Its name derives from the forms of the two kinds of Proteins on the surface of its coat Hemagglutinin (H and

From October 2004 to February 2005, some 3,700 test kits of the 1957 Asian Flu virus were accidentally spread around the world from a lab in the US[2]. H2N2 is a subtype of the species Influenza A virus (sometimes called bird flu virus

In May 2005, scientists urgently call nations to prepare for a global influenza pandemic that could strike as much as 20% of the world's population. Note For information about the content tone and sourcing of this article please see the tags at the bottom of this page

In October 2005, cases of the avian flu (the deadly strain H5N1) were identified in Turkey. Influenza A virus subtype H5[[Neuraminidase N1]], also known as A(H5N1 or simply H5N1, is a subtype of the Influenza A virus which can cause Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said: "We have received now confirmation that the virus found in Turkey is an avian flu H5N1 virus. There is a direct relationship with viruses found in Russia, Mongolia and China. " Cases of bird flu were also identified shortly thereafter in Romania, and then Greece. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Possible cases of the virus have also been found in Croatia, Bulgaria and in the United Kingdom ^[3]. Croatia (Hrvatska ˈxȓvatska officially the Republic of Croatia ( Republika Hrvatska) is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

By November 2007 numerous confirmed cases of the H5N1 strain had been identified across Europe ^[4]. Influenza A virus subtype H5[[Neuraminidase N1]], also known as A(H5N1 or simply H5N1, is a subtype of the Influenza A virus which can cause However, by the end of October only 59 people had died as a result of H5N1 which was atypical of previous influenza pandemics.

Despite sensational media reporting, avian flu cannot yet be categorized as a "pandemic" because the virus cannot yet cause sustained and efficient human-to-human transmission. Cases so far are recognized to have been transmitted from bird to human, but as of December 2006 there have been very few (if any) cases of proven human-to-human transmission. Regular influenza viruses establish infection by attaching to receptors in the throat and lungs, but the avian influenza virus can only attach to receptors located deep in the lungs of humans, requiring close, prolonged contact with infected patients and thus limiting person-to-person transmission. The current WHO phase of pandemic alert is level 3, described as "no or very limited human-to-human transmission. " according to the WHO website.

See also

• Epidemic
• List of epidemics
• Syndemic
• Influenza pandemic
• Pandemic Severity Index
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
• Mortality from infectious diseases
• Biological warfare
• Risks to civilization, humans and planet Earth
• Endemic
• Medieval demography

References

• Steward's "The Next Global Threat: Pandemic Influenza".
• American Lung Association. (2007, April), Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis Fact Sheet. As retrieved from www. lungusa. org/site/pp. aspx?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=35815 November 29, 2007.
• Larson, E. (2007). Community Factors in the Development of Antibiotic Resistance. [Electronic Version]. Annual Review of Public Health. 28 pp. 437-447. As accessed November 29, 2007.
• Bancroft, E. A. , (2007, October). Antimicrobial Resistance It's Not Just for Hospitals. [Electronic Version]. JAMA 298(15) pp. 1803-1804. As accessed November 29, 2007.

External links

• WHO - Authoritative source of information about global health issues
• Past pandemics that ravaged Europe
• CDC: Influenza Pandemic Phases
• Video Panel Discussion on Pandemics with Experts

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