(In 2006, interest in the threat of pandemics had been triggered by a recent outbreak of avian flu in South-East Asia, and one briefing at a conference I attended was very full. The original article contained links that are no longer available and indeed, advice on disease should always be sought from the most current official web-sites.) The following is based on advice given to City Council staff.
For more information:
Visit the Department of Health web-site
Read the Chief Medical Officer's article: : Bird flu and pandemic influenza: what are the risks?
Call NHS Direct on 0845 4647 (calls charged at local rates)
Pick up the leaflet "Pandemic Flu" from your doctor's surgery or download it here: Flu pandemic leaflet
Contact the Emergency Planning Team - emergency.planning@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
Flu - Advice and guidance
Bird flu is in the news daily and is causing international concern. There are differences between seasonal flu, avian flu and pandemic flu. Here is the latest information based on advice and guidance from the Government.
There are three broad types of flu:
Seasonal Flu This is standard flu, the type which occurs every year during the winter and affects about 10% of the population as a matter of course. For most people it is an unpleasant but not life-threatening infection. The very young, the very old and people with certain chronic illnesses are most at risk of serious illness. As the strain of virus is fairly predictable, annual vaccination can be made available for those most at risk of serious illness.
Avian flu (bird flu) This is flu which affects birds. In some limited circumstances - essentially where there is close contact with birds - it can affect other animals (such as pigs) and humans. In the recent outbreak of avian flu in South-East Asia, there have been no confirmed cases of infected humans spreading the disease to other humans.
Pandemic flu This flu is caused by a new or novel strain of influenza virus. One way this could happen is as a result of an avian flu virus and ordinary flu virus mixing their genes to produce a virus that can spread between people. Or the avian virus could mutate. Because it is new, no one has any protection against it, and until it is identified a vaccine cannot be developed against it. It can, therefore, spread very rapidly and cause high rates of illness and death across the whole population at any time of year.
Impact of a flu outbreak Avian flu will cause significant impacts on the commercial poultry industry. It would be likely to kill, and necessitate the killing of, large numbers of poultry to stamp out the disease. It should have no affect on humans. Pandemic flu, should it occur, is expected to have a major impact on normal life in the UK. The symptoms are likely to be the same as we see with seasonal flu, but may be more severe and cause more fatalities. Measures to reduce the spread of the disease could mean that mass gatherings, such as concerts and football matches, will be cancelled, and travel restricted. Schools might be closed, which will have a dramatic knock-on effect for business continuity in all sectors of the community. Sustaining all our vital public services during a period of high staff absenteeism (possibly as much as 30%) will be a challenge. Response to a pandemic In terms of responsibility for addressing the human health issues, the lead role nationally and locally is being taken by health agencies, principally the Health Protection Agency. Safety information will come mainly from the HPA, NHS Direct and Primary Care Trusts. We have a role in support of the health service response, and significant responsibilities in respect of vulnerable people who are clients of our Social Services department. The government has prepared a UK-wide Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan, and Regional and local plans are being developed. At the same time the City Council is developing its own corporate arrangements. If pandemic flu reaches the UK, there will be health protection information on the media and in newspapers. [Last reviewed 2006-03-08; based on notes from 2006-02-03]
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