General Information — Avian Influenza

• General information brochure

A pandemic is an epidemic that spreads rapidly around the world with high rates of illness and death. Although people are exposed to different strains of the flu virus every year, history has shown that several times each century, entirely new flu strains develop.

Because no one has had a chance to develop immunity to the new flu strain, it can spread rapidly and widely. If the changed virus causes serious illness and easily spreads from person to person, a pandemic can occur.

Pandemics are different from seasonal flu outbreaks. Seasonal flu outbreaks are caused by small changes in influenza viruses that people have already been exposed to. A new flu vaccine is developed each year to protect people against the expected changes in existing viruses. That's why annual flu shots are needed and are effective.

But since an influenza pandemic is caused by an entirely new strain of flu virus, preparing a vaccine in advance is not as simple as it is for seasonal flu.

Currently there is concern about one strain of Avian influenza (bird flu), known as H5N1, because it is causing severe disease in wild birds, chickens, and other poultry in several continents.

In some instances, people who have had close contact with sick poultry have also become infected, and some have died. There is concern that H5N1 will be able to change so that it will be easily spread from birds to humans and then from human to human.

New York State, the state's local health departments and the federal government are actively involved in planning for the possibility of an influenza pandemic. The New York State Department of Health has developed an influenza pandemic plan and will update it as information and conditions change.

Information provided by the New York State Department of Health.