Mitigation Approaches to Combat the Flu Pandemic

• Published in: Journal of Global Infectious Diseases
• Main Authors: Chawla, Raman, Sharma, Rakesh Kumar, Madaan, Deepali, Dubey, Neha, Arora, Rajesh, Goel, Rajeev, Singh, Shefali, Kaushik, Vinod, Singh, Pankaj Kumar, Chabbra, Vivek, Bhardwaj, Janak Raj
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Medknow Publications 2009
• Subjects: Global Health Report; Avian flu
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2840954; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20300402; https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-777X.56258

Management of flu pandemic is a perpetual challenge for the medical fraternity since time immemorial. Animal to human transmission has been observed thrice in the last century within an average range of 11-39 years of antigenic recycling. The recent outbreak of influenza A (H1N1, also termed as swine flu), first reported in Mexico on April 26, 2009, occurred in the forty first year since last reported flu pandemic (July 1968). Within less than 50 days, it has assumed pandemic proportions (phase VI) affecting over 76 countries with 163 deaths/35,928 cases (as on 15th June 2009). It indicated the re-emergence of genetically reassorted virus having strains endemic to humans, swine and avian (H5N1). The World Health Organisation (WHO) member states have already pulled up their socks and geared up to combat such criticalities. Earlier outbreaks of avian flu (H5N1) in different countries led WHO to develop pandemic preparedness strategies with national/regional plans on pandemic preparedness. Numerous factors related to climatic conditions, socio-economic strata, governance and sharing of information/logistics at all levels have been considered critical indicators in monitoring the dynamics of escalation towards a pandemic situation.