Department of Emergency Medicine

UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: Influenza- Why Worry?

Category: International EM

Keywords: Influenza (PubMed Search)

Posted: 10/1/2014 by Jon Mark Hirshon, PhD, MPH, MD (Updated: 10/29/2014)
Click here to contact Jon Mark Hirshon, PhD, MPH, MD

INFLUENZA

What is it?

  • Common disease that causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide
    • Both seasonal and pandemic influenza occurs
    • Vaccination can decrease disease incidence and spread
    • Treatment can decrease disease severity
  • Orthomyxoviruses (RNA virus)
    • 6 genera

 

Why do we care about influenza?

  • Pandemic Influenza
    • Can infect and kill young, healthy people
    • 1918 H1N1 Influenza pandemic infected an estimated 500 million globally
      • Approximately 20% of the world’s population
    • Killed an estimated 50 million (may be as high as 100 million)
      • 2%-3% of the world’s population died
  • Seasonal Influenza
    • Most often causes severe disease in the very young, very old, and those with chronic illnesses
    • Estimated between 3-5 million cases of severe illness around the world annually
    • Between 250,000 and 500,000 deaths

 

Bottom line

  • Influenza is a potentially life threatening disease.
  • Both seasonal and pandemic influenza are global concerns.
  • Morbidity and mortality can be decreased through appropriate vaccination and treatment

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