Pandemic Influenza Information | Department of Public Health and Social Services

What is Pandemic Flu?

Pandemic flu is a type of influenza that occurs every few decades and which spreads rapidly to affect most countries and regions around the world. The symptoms of pandemic flu are similar to those of "ordinary" flu or seasonal flu but are usually more severe.

How Does A Flu Pandemic Start?

Flu viruses are constantly changing, producing new strains. Pandemics occur when a virus develops that is so different from previously circulating strains that few, if any, people have any immunity to it. This allows the virus to spread widely and rapidly, affecting many hundreds and thousands of people.

A new pandemic virus may emerge through the mixing (recombination) of human flu virus with an animal flu virus such as a bird (avian) flu virus.

How Is The Virus Spread?

The virus is easily passed from person to person by breathing in air from an infected person when he/she talks, coughs, or sneezes. It can also be spread through hand/face contact after touching a person or surface contaminated with the virus.

Facts About Pandemic Flu:

Pandemic flu spreads very rapidly because people have no immunity.

Pandemic flu is likely to be more severe than "ordinary" or seasonal flu.

Groups at particular risk won't be known until the disease starts to circulate - they may be different (it may not affect all age groups equally).

IS IT A COLD OR THE FLU?
Symptom	Cold	Flu
Fever	Rare in adults and older children, but can be as high as 102°F in children and infants	Usually 102° F, but can go up to 104° F and usually last 3 to 4 days
Headache	Rare	Sudden onset and can be severe
Muscle Aches	Mild	Usual, and often severe
Tiredness and Weakness	Mild	Often extreme and can last 2 or more weeks
Runny nose, sneezing, soar throat	Often	Sometimes
Cough	Mild hacking cough	Usual and can be severe

For more information, download the Pandemic Flu brochure.

Pandemic Influenza Materials:

	TA Request Form (File size: 624 KB) This form is used to request for a pandemic presentation and/or materials.
	DPHSS Pandemic (File size: 1,201 KB) A brochure on Pandemic Influenza.
	Cover Your Cough (File size: 603KB) Green mini-poster for Schools, Daycare Centers, Senior Citizen's Centers, Mayor's Offices and Homes.
	Cover Your Cough (File size: 195KB) Red mini-poster for hospitals, private clinics, and nursing homes.
	Germ Stopper Poster (File size: 372 KB) Be a germ stopper at school - and home.
	Chinese Pandemic Flu Poster (File size: 176KB) Created for homes, schools and places of work.
	Tagalog Pandemic Flu Poster (File size: 176KB) Created for homes, schools and places of work.

Web Resources:

US Department of Health & Human Services : www.pandemicflu.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention : www.cdc.gov

World Health Organization : www.who.int

For more information, contact: pandemic@dphss.guam.gov