What is Influenza?

• Respiratory Infectious Disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae
• An acute viral infection that spread easily from person to person
• 3 types of influenza viruses: Type A, B and C
• Only type A and B cause significant disease worldwide

Why is Novel Influenza A (H1N1) “swine-flu” different?

• This is a new influenza virus causing illness in people
• This new virus has never before circulated among humans and is not related to previous or current human seasonal influenza viruses.

Why are we so worried about Novel Influenza?

Swine flu has caused concern due to the speed at which it reached pandemic proportions.  Also, history has shown that Influenza viruses, such as this one, caused unimaginable levels of illness, suffering, deaths, social disruption and economic disaster.  For example Spanish Flu in 1918 and Asian Flu in 1957/58.

What Can We Do About it?

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