Information Related to "A Modern Menace: Emerging and Reemerging Diseases"
| Audio/Video |
This past April, when the first cases of H1N1 swine flu were detected in Mexico and the United States, health officials around the world went on high alert.
Surveillance measures were put in place. Pharmaceutical companies stepped
up production of antiviral drugs. In cities with confirmed cases, schools
were closed. Large public gatherings, such as sporting events and concerts,
were canceled. Malls, restaurants and other public places were empty.
The scenes were very similar to what happened during the SARS and avian
flu outbreaks that unfolded in Asia earlier this decade.
Aided by modern transportation, the virus spread rapidly. On June 11, with more than 125,000 confirmed cases and 140 deaths in 73 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) finally declared the never-before-seen virus a pandemic-a global disease outbreak. The organization had long hesitated to take such a step-declaring the first global flu epidemic in 41 years-lest widespread panic result.
What the final outcome will be remains to be seen. With the arrival of summer in the northern hemisphere-and warm temperatures that flu bugs don't like-the spread slowed considerably. While there have been a large number of infections, this strain has been milder than originally feared and has been responsible for a relatively small number of fatalities.
Related Information on UCG Sites:
Table of Contents that includes "A Modern Menace: Emerging and Reemerging Diseases"
Other Articles by Becky Sweat
Third world poverty: