Avian Influenza — A Challenge to Global Health Care Structures

Abstract
The largest, most devastating outbreak of an infectious disease in modern history occurred in 1918, when a highly virulent influenza A (H1N1) virus spread throughout the world and killed between 20 million and 40 million people. Additional epidemics occurred in 1957 (H2N2) and 1968 (H3N2), both originating in Asia and each killing approximately 1 million people. These haunting memories have led to widespread concern about the ongoing outbreak of avian H5N1 influenza in Asia.Certain parallels between the “Spanish flu” of 1918 and H5N1 justify this concern. Like the 1918 virus, H5N1 influenza has unusually high virulence and can capitalize . . .