‘Deadly’ pandemic could be getting closer to reality

It is the stuff of movies and history books, but the likelihood of a major influenza pandemic is more real than experts are comfortable with.

The last pandemic was the Spanish flu in 1918-1919 devistated the population with 50 million deaths. After that pandemic, there wasn’t a new strain of influenza for 40 years.

Experts warn that there have been 19 new strains in the last century and what’s scarier is that seven of them have been in the last five years. University of New South Wales researchers are watching the situation very closely. Director of the UNSW’s Integrated Systems for Epidemic Response, Raina MacIntyre, told The Sydney Morning Herald, “We are somewhat prepared, but when pandemics occur there are almost always unanticipated scenarios”.  She added, “When health systems become stressed and unable to cope with the sick, that is when we are truly tested.”

When asked what is causing the flu to change so much, Professor MacIntyre said, “Some of the reasons involve things like climate change and its impact on pathogens, changes like urbanisation, but none of these things have increased at the rate the virus is increasing, so there’s something else going on.”

That something else could be the potential link to various bird flus.  The constant and sudden mutation of these avian flus means that one could be potentially passed to humans in the future.

Experts also urge the use of vaccinations to fight against current strains of the illness.

What do you think?  Do you get a flu shot every year?