FACTBOX-Pandemics that have ravaged mankind
Source: Reuters
Dec 14 (Reuters) - Experts urged governments on Thursday to do more to prepare for a possible influenza pandemic and beef up surveillance on the spread of bird flu in all animals and humans. The H5N1 bird flu virus is widely regarded as a possible trigger for the world's next influenza pandemic because of its high mortality rate in humans and its rapid spread among birds across the globe in recent years. Here are facts about some of the world's past pandemics: - Between 1347 and 1351, an estimated 25 million people died in Europe from the bubonic plague. This outbreak is believed to have started in China and was spread by fleas on rats. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the disease was reported by 14 countries in 1999, infecting 2,603 people, killing 212. - A cholera epidemic than began in 1826 and consequently spread throughout much of the world via steamboat killed tens of thousands of people. - In the 20th century, influenza outbreaks killed millions and hobbled economies. - The "Spanish flu" pandemic of 1918 killed between 40 million and 50 million worldwide and caused the largest number of deaths in the 20-39 age group, devastating economies at the end of World War One. - The "Asian flu" and "Hong Kong flu" pandemics of 1956/57 and 1967/68 killed a combined 4.5 million people. - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control projects that a modern-day influenza pandemic could kill between two million and 7.4 million people globally, crippling the world economy for months. - Pandemics cause deaths mainly among the very young and the elderly, but "Spanish Flu" was the exception. Nearly half of those it killed were young adults. - Flu pandemics are generally caused by the emergence of a new influenza virus that easily infects humans and birds. - Typically, new influenza viruses have originated in the Far East. In the past three pandemics, they took about six months to spread worldwide, but an outbreak today could spread within weeks by passengers on planes. - The WHO has six levels of pandemic alert. The world is now in phase 3, indicating that a new influenza virus subtype is causing disease in humans, but is not yet spreading efficiently and sustainably among humans. Sources: Reuters; WHO (www.who.int); U.S. Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov)
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