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I. Purpose and Background - What is an Influenza Pandemic and why are we <br />40 preparing? <br />• <br />The purpose of this document is to outline a coordinated and rational City response to a <br />possible outbreak of Pandemic Influenza (such as AVIAN INFLUENZA / H5N1). <br />A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. An influenza pandemic occurs when a new <br />influenza A virus emerges for which there is little or no immunity in the human <br />population, begins to cause serious illness and then spreads easily person -to- person <br />worldwide, the most serious of which could lead to significant human deaths and social <br />disruption. <br />Historically, the 20th century saw 3 pandemics of influenza: <br />• 1918 influenza pandemic caused at least 675,000 U.S. deaths and up to 50 <br />million deaths worldwide <br />• 1957 influenza pandemic caused at least 70,000 U.S. deaths and 1 -2 million <br />deaths worldwide <br />• 1968 influenza pandemic caused about 34,000 U.S. deaths and 700,000 <br />deaths worldwide <br />Characteristics and challenges of a pandemic: <br />1. Rapid Worldwide Spread <br />• When a pandemic influenza virus emerges, its global spread is considered <br />inevitable. <br />• Preparedness activities should assume that the entire world population would <br />be susceptible. <br />• Countries might, through measures such as border closures and travel <br />restrictions, delay arrival of the virus, but cannot stop it. <br />2. Health Care Systems Overloaded <br />• Most people have little or no immunity to a pandemic virus. Infection and <br />illness rates soar. A substantial percentage of the world's population will <br />require some form of medical care. <br />• Nations unlikely to have the staff, facilities, equipment and hospital beds <br />needed to cope with large numbers of people who suddenly fall ill. <br />• Death rates are high, largely determined by four factors: the number of people <br />who become infected, the virulence of the virus, the underlying characteristics <br />and vulnerability of affected populations and the effectiveness of preventive <br />measures. <br />• Past pandemics have spread globally in two and sometimes three waves <br />Page 3 <br />