Pandemic Influenza Preparation and Response Plan
The following links explain what an influenza pandemic is, the importance of early preparation for one, some history of past influenza pandemics, and a wealth of information concerning what the United States and its various states, the World Health Organization, and many other nations in the world are doing to prepare for the next influenza pandemic.
In addition to the information provided by the links on Kimbrough's Web site, there are several very good books available concerning the great influenza pandemic of 1918 that you may consider purchasing or borrowing from your local library. The pandemic of 1918 was the worst pandemic ever; even worse than the black plague of the middle ages, and, except for a few sporadic and less deadly outbreaks in 1920-25, it lasted only a few months in 1918 and 1919! It struck in succeeding waves, like a tsunami, with each occurrence being more severe than the previous. At one point, some scientists feared that the entire human race would be wiped off the face of the earth.
Based on the most current evidence, it is the general consensus among epidemiologists that the influenza pandemic of 1918 began in a little town in Kansas, from where it was transported to a local Army cantonment by several of the town's residents. From that Army cantonment in Kansas it spread to other Army cantonments, then to Europe when the soldiers shipped overseas, and finally back to the United States and the rest of the world. During that pandemic, at least 40 million people died from influenza or pneumonia, which frequently occurs after severe cases of influenza. By the time it ended, there was not one spot on the earth unaffected; it reached even the most remote Pacific islands. In the United States, there were a few small, isolated communities in the plains and western states that were not affected but this was only because of the severe steps that the leaders and members of those communities took to prevent their communities from being contaminated. A primary reason for the severity of the 1918 pandemic was the policy of the United States Government at the time. In 1918, the United States was at war with Germany and it was a total war; a very popular war. It was considered unpatriotic to voice opinions against the war and the war effort, and to do so was to risk imprisonment, as one congressman discovered. The newspapers were also constrained by this policy; therefore, they didn't print any warnings about the influenza but instead attempted to explain away the influenza as severe colds and other lesser illnesses, or just ignored it altogether. Another factor that contributed to its severity was that nobody had ever seen this kind of a flu before. Enormous numbers of people became infected. Frequently, people would seem to be perfectly well one moment and then completely prostrated the next; many displayed plague-like symptoms; many died within with 24 to 48 hours of showing symptoms; and a few died almost immediately after being struck down. It took a while for physicians and epidemiologists to realize this was a flu; a very terrible flu. The strain of influenza that occurred in 1918 was called the Spanish Flu. This is because the Spanish newspapers were not afraid to tell the truth when the pandemic broke out in Spain. From the newspapers in Spain, the world's population finally began to realize what was happening; however, it was too late.
The world's nations learned a lot from the influenza pandemic of 1918. First and foremost was that they and their people need to be prepared for a pandemic before it strikes, if that is possible. Today, scientists and governments are convinced that a new pandemic is imminent and they want us to be prepared. The better prepared we are; as nations, communities, and individuals, the better we will be able to minimize our losses.
The stain of influenza virus that most concerns the nations of the world today is the H5N1 virus, which is the same strain that struck in 1918, and is commonly known as the avian flu or bird flu. Influenza is a bird malady; that is, it's a natural illness of birds. Every so often, the virus mutates and infects other animals living in close proximity to birds; for example, from chickens to pigs in a farmyard. Humans normally are infected after being in contact with the pig (or other animal) that got infected by the birds. Influenza viruses are constantly mutating organisms. There can be no human to human transmission unless a human is infected and the virus mutates in such a way that it can now be transmitted from that human to another. This is what happened in 1918 and in the two smaller influenza pandemics that occurred in the latter half of the 20th century.
Please take some time to visit the Web page and review some of the linked information. For individuals and families, the first link listed -- Pandemic Influenza Planning: A Guide for Individuals and Families -- is extremely important and you are strongly encouraged to read it and print it. |