Pandemic Influenza Are you prepared? Susan Hudson, MPH student Walden University PH Environmental Health Instructor: Dr. Raymond W. Thron Fall Quarter, 2009

Pandemic Influenza What is it ?  Epidemic vs Pandemic  Pandemic of 1918  Millions of people affected

Cause and Transmission  Virus not yet identified  Transmission through contact with droplets from the nose and throat of an infected person  New strains emerged

Efforts to Understand  21.5 million people died with global mortality rates ranging from 30 to 50 million  Estimated that more Americans died from Influenza in 1918 than from World War I Credit: National Library of Medicine

Efforts continue Credit: National Library of Medicine

History Continues  Pandemic of  Pandemic of  Mortality rates reaching 70,000 and 33,000

Pandemic Influenza Today  Researchers warned of an impending pandemic  Avian (Bird) Flu  Swine Flu, now known as H1N1

Are you prepared ?  Do you know the signs and symptoms of Influenza?  Do you know how to prevent the spread of Influenza in your school, home, or community ?  How can you help?

Signs and Symptoms  Fever  Lethargy  Runny nose  Sore throat  Chills  Nausea  Vomiting  Diarrhea

How do I prevent the spread?  Vaccination is the best way to help prevent disease  Live, weakened virus vaccination  Killed virus vaccination  H1N1 vaccine will not protect against seasonal flu

Preventing transmission

How can I help the school and community ?  Mild flu symptoms  Good hand hygiene  Cleaning of high touch surfaces  Stay home from school  Emergency signs and symptoms  Don’t kiss the pig !

Recovery  Recovery takes time  Cough may linger for 3 to 4 weeks after onset of illness  Be patient

Working together

Additional Reading/Resources   ease/swineflu/en/ ease/swineflu/en/ ease/swineflu/en/  edlineplus/h1n1fluswinefl u.html edlineplus/h1n1fluswinefl u.html edlineplus/h1n1fluswinefl u.html  A Cruel Wind: Pandemic Flu in America (paperback by Dorothy A. Pettit)

References Aschengrau, A. & Seage, G.R., III. (2008). Essentials of Epidemiology in Public Health. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2009). Questions and Answers: 2009 H1N1 (Swine Flu) and You. Retrieved October 20, 2009 from United States Department of Health and Human Services (2009). The Great Pandemic; the United States in retrieved October 17, 2009 from The National Library of Medicine (2009). Retrieved October 21, 2009 from