Tag Archives: influenza pandemic

What Is Bird Flu?

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If you watch or read the news regularly, you’ve probably heard of bird flu, otherwise known as avian influenza. Bird flu is a contagious disease of animals; the viruses infect mainly birds and occasionally pigs. On rare occasions, the virus has crossed over to infect humans. There are 23 different variations of the influenza A virus. Only a few of these subtypes can cause serious illness in poultry. The variety that is causing the most upset is the “highly pathogenic” form, which can cause high mortality rates in a domestic flock of poultry in a very short amount of time. … Continue reading →

What Is An Influenza Pandemic?

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An epidemic is a disease that attacks many individuals in a particular area at the same time. A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. In just the last century, we have seen three influenza pandemics: 1918: 500,000 deaths in the United States; 40 million deaths worldwide 1957: 70,000 deaths in the United States; between one and two million deaths worldwide 1968: 34,000 deaths in the United States; 700,000 deaths worldwide As medicine, education, and communication abilities advance, the death toll has gone down dramatically. What causes a pandemic? Viruses are constantly changing. A new strain of the influenza virus may … Continue reading →