Influenza pandemics: a historical retrospect

Emerging Problems in Infectious Diseases Influenza pandemics: a historical retrospect

The recent global outbreak of human cases of swine origin influenza A (H1N1) has spread fear that this virus will be of pandemic proportions causing high morbidity and mortality. While it is too early to determine the pandemic nature of swine origin influenza A (H1N1), it may be useful to look at the history of influenza pandemics described since recorded history. The first well-documented outb...

“Historical Influenza Pandemics: Lessons Learned” Meeting and Workshop

Avian influenza and influenza pandemics.

1 Coordinator, Risk Containment, Mapping and Drug Resistance, Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Response, World Health Organization, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland (email: [email protected]). Correspondence should be sent to this author. 2 Project Leader, Global Influenza Programme, Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Response, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. Ref. No. 04-012...

History of Influenza Pandemics

Influenza pandemics have been amongst the largest and the deadliest epidemics in the history of man, and were observed already in ancient times. For example, records from the fifth century B.C. suggest that influenza pandemics were observed in ancient Greece. In Europe, during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, numerous concordant reports from different countries describe epidemics of respira...

Stockpiling Ventilators for Influenza Pandemics