influenza

A pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus, which people have no immunity to, emerges and starts spreading as easily as normal influenza. The Department of Health is working to support NHS preparedness and to reduce the impact of pandemic flu on the UK population.
Infection control guidance in the event of a flu pandemic is now available for some non-NHS sectors. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) and the Department of Health (DH) have worked with various organisations to develop guidance for the following: funeral directors, the hospitality industry, fire and rescue services, cleaning and refuse staff and the police.

Influenza results from infection with 1 of 3 basic types of virus, A, B, or C, which are classified within the family Orthomyxoviridae. These single-stranded RNA viruses share structural and biological similarities but vary antigenically.

The RNA core consists of 8 gene segments surrounded by a coat of 10 (influenza A) or 11 (influenza B) proteins. From an immunologic viewpoint, the most significant surface proteins are hemagglutinin and neuraminidase. The viruses are typed based on these proteins. For example, influenza A subtype H3N2 expresses hemagglutinin 3 and neuraminidase 2.

Given the unpredictable behaviour of influenza viruses, neither the timing nor the severity of the next pandemic can be predicted with any certainty. Information on these pages has been compiled to help policy-makers and the public stay informed in a situation that is rapidly evolving.

The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 killed more people than the Great War, known today as World War I (WWI), at somewhere between 20 and 40 million people. It has been cited as the most devastating epidemic in recorded world history. More people died of influenza in a single year than in four-years of the Black Death Bubonic Plague from 1347 to 1351. Known as "Spanish Flu" or "La Grippe" the influenza of 1918-1919 was a global disaster.
In the fall of 1918 the Great War in Europe was winding down and peace was on the horizon. The Americans had joined in the fight, bringing the Allies closer to victory against the Germans.