UN health agency warns of flu ‘surprises’

The World Health Organization is warning countries across the globe in a new report to “be prepared for surprises” in the next flu pandemic.

{mosads}”Though the world is better prepared for the next pandemic than ever before, it remains highly vulnerable, especially to a pandemic that causes severe disease,” the report states. “Nothing about influenza is predictable, including where the next pandemic might emerge and which virus might be responsible.”

The world was lucky that the 2009 outbreak of “swine flu,” or H1N1, was relatively mild, the report says. It warns of a range of unpredictable H5 strains of flu currently circulating in birds in China.

“Little is known about the potential of these novel viruses to infect humans, but some isolated human infections have been detected,” the report states. 

The different strains are able to mutate and exchange genes with other strains. “The consequences for animal and human health are unpredictable yet potentially ominous,” the report states.

But there is a brighter note on preparedness. “On many levels, the world is better prepared for an influenza pandemic than ever before,” the report says.

The alert level is high, and laboratories all over the world are on the lookout and testing samples. Technological advances mean that vaccines can be produced more quickly.

Still, more research is needed, the report says. 

“More R&D is needed to develop better vaccines and shorten the production time,” the report says. “During a severe pandemic, many lives will be lost in the 3 to 4 months needed to produce vaccines.”