Preparing for a pandemic influenza : a primer for governors and senior state officials

Resource Information

The work Preparing for a pandemic influenza : a primer for governors and senior state officials represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in University of Missouri-Kansas City Libraries. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.

Label

Preparing for a pandemic influenza : a primer for governors and senior state officials

Title remainder

a primer for governors and senior state officials

Creator

• Prior, Stephen D

Contributor

• National Governors' Association, Center for Best Practices

Subject

• Disease Outbreaks -- prevention & control
• Electronic books.
• Electronic bookss.
• Influenza in Birds -- prevention & control
• Influenza, Human -- prevention & control
• Community Health Planning -- methods
• United States
• State Government

Language

eng

Summary

An episode of pandemic influenza is the viral equivalent of a perfect storm. Three essential conditions must be met for an outbreak to begin: a new flu virus must emerge from the animal reservoirs that have produced and harbored such viruses-- one that has never infected human beings and therefore one for which no person has developed antibodies; the virus has to make humans sick (most do not); it must be able to spread efficiently, through coughing, sneezing, or a handshake. The avian flu virus H5N1 already has met the first two conditions: transfer to humans has been documented and the effects are deadly, with 30 percent to 70 percent lethality, but the transmission rates to humans and between humans are still relatively low. Recent reports suggest the virus is mutating and could change in ways that allow it to fulfill the third criterion. When the human-to-human transfer begins, unless it is controlled rapidly in the locality of the outbreak, current levels of international travel could help foster a pandemic in a matter of weeks. This document examines the key issues governors and their top officials may face should a pandemic occur

Additional physical form

Also issued in print.

Cataloging source

NLM

Index

no index present

Literary form

non fiction

Nature of contents

• dictionaries
• bibliography