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Pandemic Influenza

Pandemic flu affecting humans occurs due to the emergence of a new flu virus which is markedly different from recently circulating strains.

It could happen if :

1.   Avian flu combines with ‘ordinary’ flu, or

2.   The Avian flu virus mutates and you get a completely new flu strain that can be transmitted directly from one person to another.

It has not happened yet, but if it did, it would be a big problem. Few – if any – people will have any immunity to the new virus. This allows it to spread widely, easily and to cause more serious illness.

Experts predict another pandemic will occur but cannot say exactly when. Each pandemic is different and, until the virus starts circulating, it is impossible to predict its full effects.

The World Health Organisation is co-ordinating international efforts to identify and develop vaccines and treatments to reduce the effects of this illness.  The hardest part in this process is that the exact science can only be achieved as the illness emerges, so understanding how viruses mutate, and finding medicines that reduce their ability to reproduce and spread has and continues to be a key area of work.

Absences due to illness may be considerably higher than normal absence patterns, placing unusual demands on both local businesses' and public services' abilities to provide their normal levels of service. Organisations should be developing “Business Continuity Plans” to enable themselves to assess staff absences both directly resulting from flu and looking at staff working from home; and external factors such as the organisations that support them, suppliers, stock for production and so on.

All authoritative sources identify personal hygiene as being, whilst the most basic step in self help, one of the most effective barriers to transmission; cleaning hands regularly in hot fresh water with soap (detergents in soap break down the virus "cell" wall), cleaning surfaces as for hands, washing clothing at recommended temperatures with detergents, have all been identified as simple but very effective steps in reducing the spread of the illness.

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