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Paediatric Pulmonology and Allergology
2008 April, Vol. XI, No. 1 (3892-3902)
PAEDIATRIC VIEW ON PREPARING FOR PANDEMIC INFLUENZA
Anne Thompson
John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
In 2003 the first human cases of Avian Influenza A H5N1 virus were reported from China and Vietnam. Once adapted to the human host and able to spread easily from human to human it would initially spread to cause outbreaks and epidemics within the country of origin and its immediate neighbours before spreading globally to cause a pandemic. Since then there has been a steady trickle of cases reported with a high fatality rate. The total to February 15th 2008 is 361 cases and 227 deaths. The cases have all been in individuals living in close proximity to infected birds and there is limited evidence of human to human spread. Pandemic influenza is likely to be severe with a high number of people developing severe prostration, viral pneumonia, rapidly fatal overwhelming viraemia, or secondary complications. The UK case fatality rate in previous pandemics was between 0.2 perc. and 2 perc. A 25 perc. clinical attack rate and a 1 perc. Mortality gives an excess death rate of 150 000 in the UK (population of 58 million). The world is currently in interpandemic phase 2. Many countries have advanced plans of how to handle infectious epidemic. In the UK there continues be a major programme to improve readiness to deal with an influenza pandemic.