WHO Global Surveillance during an Influenza Pandemic - updated draft April 2009 (PDF)

If anyone is interested here is the link to a 35 page document from the World Health Organization:

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/global_pandemic_influenza_surveilance_apr09.pdf

Introduction -

1. Background

Documented pandemics have occurred at intervals of 10 to 50 years since the 16th century including three in the last century.1 The most devastating of the last three, the 1918 "Spanish Influenza", caused the death of an estimated 20 to 40 million people. The current widespread circulation of highly pathogenic influenza A (H5N1) virus in poultry and its occasional transmission to humans have raised concern that the world is moving closer to the next pandemic. While it is uncertain whether this particular virus will ever acquire the capacity for sustained human-to-human transmission, scientists agree that it is inevitable that another pandemic with an influenza virus will occur. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that emerged in 2002 and 2003 affected 26 countries in less than five months and showed how fast an epidemic with a new pathogen can spread in modern society with air travel. This event also demonstrated the impact a public health crisis can have on a global economy.

(Much more at link)

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Useful References:

• WHO guidelines for investigation of human cases of avian influenza A(H5N1) WHO/CDS/EPR/GIP/2006.4r1. Available at: http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/influenza/WHO_CDS_EPR_GIP_2006_4r1.pdf Accessed 23 June 2008.

• Ethical considerations in developing a public health response to pandemic influenza. WHO/CDS/EPR/GIP/2007.2. Available at: http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/WHO_CDS_EPR_GIP_2007_2c.pdf

• Collecting, preserving and shipping specimens for the diagnosis of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection. WHO/CDS/EPR/ARO/2006.1. Available at: http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/surveillance/CDS_EPR_ARO_2006_1.pdf

• WHO Interim Protocol: Rapid operations to contain the initial emergence of pandemic influenza. Available at: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/guidelines/RapidContProtOct15.pdf

• Recommendations and laboratory procedures for detection of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in specimens from suspected human cases. Available at: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/guidelines/RecAIlabtestsAug07.pdf

• The role of National Influenza Centres (NICs) during Interpandemic, Pandemic Alert and Pandemic Periods. Available at: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/guidelines/RoleNICsMayf.pdf