...Foreign Affairs, July/August 2005 [pic] Summary: If an influenza pandemic struck today, borders would close, the global economy would shut down, international vaccine supplies and health-care systems would be overwhelmed, and panic would reign. To limit the fallout, the industrialized world must create a detailed response strategy involving the public and private sectors. Michael T. Osterholm is Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, Associate Director of the Department of Homeland Security's National Center for Food Protection and Defense, and Professor at the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health. FEAR ITSELF Dating back to antiquity, influenza pandemics have posed the greatest threat of a worldwide calamity caused by infectious disease. Over the past 300 years, ten influenza pandemics have occurred among humans. The most recent came in 1957-58 and 1968-69, and although several tens of thousands of Americans died in each one, these were considered mild compared to others. The 1918-19 pandemic was not. According to recent analysis, it killed 50 to 100 million people globally. Today, with a population of 6.5 billion, more than three times that of 1918, even a "mild" pandemic could kill many millions of people. A number of recent events and factors have significantly heightened concern that a specific near-term pandemic may be imminent. It could be caused by H5N1, the avian influenza strain currently circulating in Asia. At this juncture...
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...Epidemiology of Influenza As we welcome the winter season every year, we also welcome the possibility of various communicable diseases that are prone to present during the winter season. Diseases such as pneumonia, measles, chickenpox, and influenza are some of the diseases that make their annual debut during the winter season. These diseases affect certain parts of the body in which compromise ones health in one way or the other. Influenza is a communicable infectious viral disease which has the potential to occur as a pandemic, epidemic, or outbreak. Each year the influenza vaccine is offered in order to prevent and/or lessen the effect of the disease. In this paper the communicable disease influenza and its effect of the body and environment will be discussed. Communicable diseases are diseases that can be spread from person to person. In order for communicable diseases to make an impact, transmission of the infection must be evident from person to person. When large populations are infected with a disease, whether it is communicable or non-communicable, and epidemiology comes into play. Smith and Maurer describe epidemiology as the study of communicable diseases affecting large groups of people or populations (2009). Prevention play a major role in regards to preventing and decreasing the transmission of communicable diseases. Communicable diseases have chains called the epidemiologic triangle. In order to interrupt transmission, the triangle must be broken at...
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...Benchmark Assignment: Epidemiology of Influenza Jaime Mercado Grand Canyon University Concepts in Community and Public Health NRS-427V-O504 Misty Stone August 14, 2015 Benchmark Assignment: Epidemiology of Influenza At the start of every winter season, hospitals rapidly begin preparation for the “Flu Season,” a time where vaccines are pushed heavily and every running/stuffy nose complete with fever is closely monitored to see if it will result in something more devious that the common cold; something called Influenza. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), defines this affliction as a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses; causing mild to severe illness; where serious outcomes of flu infection can result in hospitalization or death. (2015, para. 1). Now this virus is different than that of the cold; while some symptoms are similar, such as, sore throat, dry or productive cough, runny or stuffy nose, itchy eyes, and malaise, the big differences are fever or feeling feverish/chills, body aches, and the severity and onset of the symptoms. With influenza, symptoms have a rapid onset and can make you feel quite ill for a few days to weeks, while cold symptoms can make you feel bad for a few days. Influenza can also result in serious health problems such as pneumonia and bronchitis and can result in a hospitalization stay, mainly when concerning the very young, elderly or immuno-compromised individual. So, where did this hurtful...
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...Infectious Disease Threat and Implications for the United States, health threats and issues have continued to have significant impacts on the world stage. Highly publicized virulent infectious diseases---- including HIV/AIDS, a potential influenza pandemic, and “mystery” illnesses such as the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) –remain the most direct health-related threats to the United States, but are not the only health indicators with strategic significance. Chronic, non-communicable diseases; neglected tropical diseases; maternal and child mortality; malnutrition; sanitation and access to clean water; and availability of basic healthcare also affect the US national interest through their impacts on the economies, governments, and militaries of key countries and regions. The greatest infectious disease challenge for the US since the beginning of the decade has been the potential emergence of a severe influenza pandemic. Although the H5N1 avian influenza virus remains primarily a threat to poultry, it and other such viruses continue to evolve and expand their geographic range. The timing and magnitude of the next influenza pandemic is difficult to predict. Given the increase in worldwide travel and commerce over the last several decades, however, one similar in magnitude to that of 1918 would disrupt the global economy, impair military readiness, and undermine global security and diplomacy. Instability in other parts of the world...
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...The Influenza Virus Susan Helmuth Grand Canyon University Concepts in Community and Public Health NRS-427V December 14,21014 Communicable Disease Communicable diseases have been a global problem for many years. Influenza Virus infection is an internal public health burden. This paper will include a description of influenza and the demographics involved. The health factors that contribute to the virus, the epidemiologic triage as related to the virus. The explanation of the role the community health nurse has and the organizations that addresses influenza virus. In conclusion, the community health nurse plays a major role in increasing immunization coverage, there for decreasing the communicable disease of influenza. Influenza Virus Influenza Virus also calls the Flu, is a contagious viral infection of the nose, throat, and lungs that appears most often in the winter months. It can cause mild to serve reactions. It is a serious infection that affects more than 60 million people in the United States a year. The cause of the Flu is by influenza virus. There are three types being discussed. Type A flu viruses are found in some animals, such as ducks, chickens, pigs and horses. The forms of A and B are responsible for the commune seasonal flu Influenza type B viruses are only found in humans. Influenza type C infection causes mild respiratory infections, and is not thought to be a cause for epidemics. A new or different influenza virus can cause influenza pandemic...
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...advertised an effective way to develop immune system, so the people who are not over 18 years old are recommended to inoculate 15 kinds of vaccines to enhance own immunity. On the other hand, serious side effects caused by vaccinations became a social issue a couple years ago. Some people who are vaccinated reported side effects such as body convulsion, joint pain, and fever, it results that people have a question for the necessity of vaccination. This issue has been discussed on a global scale, and there are three main sides debating this issue: one side promotes to inoculate vaccine, another side opposes to vaccinating, and the final side supports to inoculate vaccines only for certain diseases....
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...Influenza July 20, 2014 Introduction Influenza also known as “Flu” is a contagious disease that affects mammals and birds. It is a viral disease that is caused by influenza viruses of the family orthomyxoviridae, which affects the lungs, throat, nose and other parts of the respiratory system. Most people tend to confuse influenza with common cold, stomach flu and other flu like illnesses, but influenza is a viral and deadly disease that is characterized with muscle pains, headache, runny nose, sore throat, high fever, colds, fatigue, nasal congestion, dry cough, vomiting and nausea. Different people may exhibit symptoms and signs of influenza differently, but most children tend to vomit and experience nausea when infected with the virus. Although influenza affects people of all ages, young children, pregnant women, people with chronic illnesses and low body immunity and the aged are at a high risk of developing influenza and suffering from its complications. In most cases, children and old people affected with influenza tend to develop and suffer from other risk complications such as ear infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections, and other respiratory illnesses (Emmanuel, 2009). Pneumonia is a common complication that develops when the disease is not identified and treated on time thus leading to viral or bacterial pneumonia. Like other infectious diseases, influenza is a viral disease that is transmitted from one person to another through air. In essence...
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...heading Ethical issues in the prevention of H1N1: the Malaysian experience Sreenivasan Sasidharan1*, S Gopal Parthiban2, Subramanion L Jothy1, Lachimanan Yoga Latha1 Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang, Malaysia 1 2 ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: Received 22 August 2012 Received in revised form 27 August 2012 Accepted 3 September 2012 Available online 28 December 2012 The novel H1N1 influenza virus that emerged in humans in Mexico in early 2009 and transmitted Keywords: Ethical issues H1N1 Malaysia Mitigation efforts efficiently in the human population with global spread has been declared a pandemic strain by WHO. Here we reviewed the role of ethical issue in the prevention of H1N1. Studies with original data related to the ethical issues in the prevention of diseases (published 1996-2012) were identified via searching electronic databases to extract related information. The role of ethical issues in the prevention of diseases must be understood. This comprises work on how the society understands about a disease and what are their individuals’ tasks to conquer the outbreak. Such understanding feeds into health damaging or health promoting behavior which eventually will help in the implementation of various disease control measures. The promises of ethical issue in the various control...
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...Phipps with cowpox to protect him against a related virus, smallpox, a multitude of effective vaccines have been developed and licensed to protect against a growing number of viral and bacterial diseases. The development and use of vaccines has been heralded as the number one greatest public health achievement of the 20th century, and is one that has had significant global impact. The wide-spread use of vaccines in the population has resulted in the eradication of smallpox; elimination of polio in the Americas and many other areas of the world; and control of the transmission and spread of diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, Haemophilus influenzae type b, pneumococcal disease, and a host of other infectious diseases. Through the global initiatives of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), many of the current childhood vaccines that are readily available in the US are now being made available to children in resource-poor countries and are having a major impact on infant and childhood morbidity and mortality. This special issue on immunization contains articles that highlight the importance of vaccination across the life span; discusses the complex process by which vaccines are developed and licensed; and looks at new vaccines in development. The article by Larry K. Pickering, MD, FAAP, FIDSA, and L. Reed Walton, MA (see page 321) gives the reader an appreciation for the complex process...
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...Vaccines are responsible for many global public health successes, such as the eradication of smallpox and important reductions in other serious infections like polio and measles. Even so, vaccinations have also long been the subject of various ethical arguments. The key ethical debates related to vaccine regulation, development, and use generally revolve. “A discussion of the ethics of vaccine rationing leads to a review of suffering due to pneumonia, particularly in the elderly” (Zimmerman, 2007). Rationing of scarce vaccine supplies will likely be required when the next pandemic occurs, raising the questions about how to ration and upon what principles. Because, influenza pandemics have differing mortality patterns occur. Vaccine manufacturers and essential healthcare workers can be justified with either principle. Therefore, the unequal principles of choosing based on social worth or those in whom vaccination is most likely to medically succeed raise substantial justice issues. “A healthy person is unlikely to die from the flu and therefore does not need the vaccine as much as a senior, an asthmatic, or others who are at-risk of serious complications” (Ludwig, 2014). Equal principles of medical neediness and random chance avoid justice concerns and are proposed. A framework that uses multiple principles to address influenza vaccine rationing in light of a shortage is recommended. As the various prioritization models would suggest, there is no single, simple solution for allocating...
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...Table of Contents Introduction Page 2 What is Spanish Flu and what happened during the pandemic? Page 2 How the situation was handled in 1918 Page 2-3 Impacts from the Spanish Flu Page 3-4 Impacts of mass gathering Page 4-5 Crisis Management Page 5 Additional information that may have arose from research Page 5-6 Recommendations Page 6-7 How the Hospitality sector should act Page 7 Hotel Response Plan Page 8-9 Sample Guest Letter Page 9 Conclusion Page 9 References Page 10-11 Appendices Page 12 Introduction Spanish flu in the year 1918 was a pandemic crisis that greatly affected everyone worldwide. To this day researchers are still studying the influenza pandemic and are working to counter future pandemics. When the Spanish flu came it created many negative impacts to the daily lives of the citizens and industries. Learning from the past, there are many recommendations that industries should implement in order to counter the spreading of a future oncoming pandemic. Crisis management is important during such a deadly situation and every business should create a plan. This document talks about what is Spanish flu and how should it affected the hospitality industry. This document also talks about what steps hotels should take during a pandemic. What is Spanish Flu and what happened during the pandemic? Spanish flu is an avian flu that occurred in 1918, it was more deadly than the World War...
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...Nathan D. Wolfe, an American virologist, founded the Global Viral once said, “If we can provide even a few months of early warning for just one pandemic, the benefits will outweigh all the time and energy we’re devoting. Imagine preventing health crises, not just responding to them.” Worldwide outbreaks of infectious disease will always be a threat to humanity, but additional issues around pandemics is the news broadcasting about current outbreaks. Media broadcastings are such a common thing that almost everyone in the world has access to some form of media to catch up on current events. Though pandemics will always be a threat to humanity, the media hypes up the severity of outbreaks. Research studies have shown that while pandemics and the...
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...Bird Flu of H5N1 virus threatens world pandemic Public health has traditionally been an area of concern as anything that poses a threat to humans should be considered a top priority societally. From a global standpoint if public health is neglected then the amount of preventable deaths would rise exponentially. In the past few years several events have been noted as threats to public health, but society had identified them quick enough so that the threat to humans was minimized. One such event occurred in 2006 and was known as the bird flu. Although there is currently no vaccine for this strain of bird flu the rapid identification of this deadly virus helped to minimize its spread. According to Medline, birds just like humans can be stricken with the flu but the virus historically only affected avian species without the potential to affect humans. This remained true until 1997 in Hong Kong when the first case of the avian flu was reported. This avian virus has the ability to mutate or change its genetic makeup so that it can be easily incorporated into the human genome, thus causing a new form of flu that can be deadly and difficult to treat. Since 1997 the avian flu has spread to several countries and has severely affected both the commercial poultry supply and humans alike. Although the viral transition to infecting humans is rare, the avian flu is responsible for approximately 600 infections since its inception with a mortality rate of 60% (National Library of Medicine...
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...• ^ International Committee on onomy of Viruses. "The Universal Virus Database, version 4: Influenza A". http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ICTVdb/ICTVdB/00.046.0.01.htm. [dead link] 1. ^ a b c d e f "Swine influenza". The Merck Veterinary Manual. 2008. ISBN 1442167424. http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/121407.htm. Retrieved April 30, 2009. 2. ^ [1][dead link] 3. ^ Heinen PP (15 September 2003). "Swine influenza: a zoonosis". Veterinary Sciences Tomorrow. ISSN 1569-0830. http://www.vetscite.org/publish/articles/000041/print.html. "Influenza B and C viruses are almost exclusively isolated from man, although influenza C virus has also been isolated from pigs and influenza B has recently been isolated from seals." 4. ^ Bouvier NM, Palese P (September 2008). "THE BIOLOGY OF INFLUENZA VIRUSES". Vaccine 26 Suppl 4 (Suppl 4): D49–53. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.07.039. PMC 3074182. PMID 19230160. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=3074182. 5. ^ Kimura H, Abiko C, Peng G et al. (April 1997). "Interspecies transmission of influenza C virus between humans and pigs". Virus Research 48 (1): 71–9. doi:10.1016/S0168-1702(96)01427-X. PMID 9140195. 6. ^ a b Matsuzaki Y, Sugawara K, Mizuta K et al. (February 2002). "Antigenic and Genetic Characterization of Influenza C Viruses Which Caused Two Outbreaks in Yamagata City, Japan, in 1996 and 1998". Journal of Clinical Microbiology 40 (2): 422–9. doi:10.1128/JCM.40.2.422-429...
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...To analyze the efficacy of 'Nanopatch Technology' as a potential vaccine delivery system Introduction: More than 17 million people die every year from infectious diseases –most in low resource regions – and many of these lives could be saved by appropriate vaccinations. (UNDP, 1996) Whilst public and private research initiatives continue, to develop novel vaccines for many diseases, the issue of how best to formulate, package, distribute and administer these vaccines across the world remains a significant unsolved problem. Most vaccines have been delivered by the needle and syringe, however this technology has several important disadvantages including needlestick injuries, disease transmission through needle reuse, (Ekwueme et al., 2002) limited thermostability, the need for training/ expertise for administration, lack of targeting to immune rich regions of the body, and the issues of pain/phobia that result in avoidance of medical care in nearly 10% of the population. One of the ways to meet the vaccination challenges worldwide is to engineer better ways of administering vaccines in a simple and effective way to more people than is currently the case (Hickling et al., 2011). Hypodermic needles were first introduced in the 1850s and since then, intramuscular injection of vaccines has been the most popular delivery method due to its ease of administration (Mitragotri, 2005). However, this technology has several disadvantages. Firstly, muscle contains relatively few antigen presenting...
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