Pandemic Flu is a possible form of influenza that could spread rapidly among people and cause serious illness or death. The most serious flu pandemic in the United States was in 1918, killing over 600,000 people. Less severe pandemics have occurred in 1957 and 1968. Because flu viruses are constantly changing, H5N1 avian influenza has the potential to change so that it spreads easily among people, becoming a pandemic.

Avian Flu (H5N1 avian influenza, or Bird Flu) currently affects flocks of wild and domestic birds overseas. Avian influenza is highly contagious among birds, usually killing those it infects. There are no reported cases among birds in the United States.

Avian flu has spread to some humans who work or live closely with birds. About 245 people have died from H5N1 avian flu as of September 2008, mostly in Vietnam, Indonesia and China. No human cases have occurred in the United States, or in any part of North or South America.

Pandemic Flu Resources

• PandemicFlu.gov
  The official U.S. government website on pandemic flu and avian influenza.
• Pandemic Flu Fact Sheets | Información en Español
  Information from the CDC
• Preparing for a Pandemic
  Information for individuals and families
• Business, Government and School Preparation
  Pandemic preparation checklists for local infrastructure
• Handbook for Journalists and the Media
  Influenza pandemic handbook for journalists produced by the World Health Organization (WHO)

Avian Flu Resources

• Bird Flu
  Fact sheets, travel advisories, questions & answers about avian influenza
• Avian Influenza Map
  Nations with confirmed cases of H5N1 avian influenza
• World Health Organization avian flu updates
  Global tracking of avian influenza
• News Headlines about Avian Flu

Other Resources

• Disaster Preparedness
  Disaster kits, family plans, and emergency preparation
• Mississippi Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Plan
  Mississippi's plan for the management of statewide operations in response to a sudden, pervasive influenza-associated illness