Friday, May 1st, 2009

Influenza Update

This preliminary negative stained transmission electron micrograph (TEM) depicted some of the ultrastructural morphology of the A/CA/4/09 swine flu virus. CDC / C. S. Goldsmith and A. Balish

The World Health Organization increased its pandemic alert level to 5 this week, one step short of declaring a full pandemic. In the US as of Thursday, over 100 confirmed cases of the flu had been reported in 12 states, including one US death. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that "the more recent illnesses and the reported death suggest that a pattern of more severe illness associated with this virus may be emerging in the U.S. Most people will not have immunity to this new virus and, as it continues to spread, more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths are expected in the coming days and weeks."

In this hour, we'll get the latest on the outbreak of Type A, H1N1 influenza. What are researchers learning from studying the virus -- and how are doctors and other health professionals dealing with its spread? What is there to be learned from studying historic pandemics?

Guests

Anthony Fauci
Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland

Michael Osterholm
Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP)
Professor in the School of Public Health
Adjunct professor in the Medical School
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Howard Markel
Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases
Director, Center for the History of Medicine
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan