Flu Pandemic Simulation

The U.S. Department of Treasury and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association recently completed a large-scale exercise with a simulated pandemic flu outbreak. Check out this page for the detailed scenarios and more information. Very interesting reading not only from better understanding the global impact of a pandemic but also as a good template for developing scenario-based training.

Avian Flu

Avian flu has been out of the eye of the MSM (mainstream media) for awhile, but may be preparing to make a comeback. Researchers have found the H5N1 virus has been mutating into a form that makes it more easy to infect humans. More details here. As flu season approaches in the Northern Hemisphere, it might be worthwhile to dust off those contingency plans from last year.

More Bird Flu

Cases of Avian flu in Asia are on the rise with a bird flu hospital in Jakarta overwhelmed with patients exhibiting symptoms and Thailand experiencing its first outbreak among birds in the last six months. Recent cases in China, Vietnam, Hong Kong and possibly Japan have also prompted concern that the seasonal resurgence could spread outside the region as in past years - following a path to the Middle East, then Europe and Africa. (One of the best resources for tracking the latest information on Avian flu throughout the world is the Flu Wiki's News section.)

Incident: Avian flu (fatalities), Indonesia

Reuters is reporting two Indonesian women have died of avian flu, taking the overall human death toll from the disease in the country to 61 (three fatalities within the past week, with several people currently being treated).

Incident: Avian flu (fatalities), Egypt

A 26-year old man from the Nile Delta province of Gharbiya has died from H5N1. This marks Egypt's 10th known fatality from Avian flu (and the third, all from an extended family, since Sunday).