H5N1 influenza and the implications for Europe

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7514.413

BMJ 2005;331:413-414 (20 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7514.413

Editorial

H5N1 influenza and the implications for Europe

A pandemic is likely, but Europe is getting prepared

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

In the 20th century, the world experienced three influenza Apandemics: "Spanish flu" claiming 20-40 million lives in 1918-9and the "Asian flu" of 1957 and "Hong Kong flu" of 1968, eachof which claimed 1-4 million lives.¹ It might be about to faceanother.

Birds are the natural hosts of influenza A, but most avian virusesare not transmitted to humans. However, the current influenzaA/H5N1 virus is more virulent in birds than in the past andis associated with human infections.² Since its appearance inHong Kong in 1997, the H5N1 epizootic, affecting both wild birdsand domestic poultry, has spread to most countries in SouthEast Asia and recently to Russia and Kazakhstan, directly threateningEurope.^3
4 An epidemic of another less virulent virus, A/H7N7,in the Netherlands in 2003 emphasised the potential for emergenceof infection in Europe.⁵

There are three prerequisites for a pandemic: a . . . [Full text of this article]

Denis Coulombier, head of unit for preparedness and response

(denis.coulombier@ecdc.eu.int)
European Centre for Disease prevention and Control (ECDC), SE-171 86 Solna, Sweden

Karl Ekdahl, strategic adviser to the director

European Centre for Disease prevention and Control (ECDC), SE-171 86 Solna, Sweden

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