Pandemic Influenza vs. Avian Influenza
Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (commonly referred to as the “Asian Bird Flu”) is NOT pandemic influenza. There are many other strains of avian influenza that readily pass between birds in many parts of the world, including the United States. It is not inevitable that “bird flu” will mutate into a form that can easily pass from person-to person. In the unlikely event that this mutation occurs, it would most likely arrive here from a traveler from Asia or elsewhere, not from birds.
The media and even health officials have contributed to public confusion by using a single term—"bird flu"—to refer to three different phenomena:
- avian influenza in birds,
- avian influenza in people, and
- pandemic influenza, that is, a mutated form of an avian flu virus that has acquired the ability to spread easily between humans.
While there is no evidence right now of an imminent human influenza pandemic, experts have been issuing warnings about this possibility and you should know that New Mexico is aggressively preparing for such an event. Emergency preparation exercises that include city, county and state officials along with hospitals and community groups are ongoing. This preparation will help minimize the impact of any future pandemic by making sure that planning revolves around medical and community surge capacity, school, family, business and individual preparedness. New Mexico’s pandemic influenza plan can be accessed at: http://www.health.state.nm.us
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