The clustering of cases is cause for concern.What are the last three phases of a pandemic?
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These growing clusters, and clusters of clusters, signal a pandemic phase 5, which is getting close to the final phase 6.
Phase 3. Human infection(s) with a new subtype, but no human-to-human spread, or at most rare instances of spread to a close contact. Goal of health organizations: Ensure rapid characterization of the new virus subtype and early detection, notification, and response to additional cases.
Phase 4. Small cluster(s) with limited human-to-human transmission but spread is highly localized, suggesting that the virus is not well adapted to humans. Goal of health organizations: Contain the new virus within limited foci or delay spread to gain time to implement preparedness measures, including vaccine development.
Phase 5. Larger cluster(s) but human-tohuman spread still localized, suggesting that the virus is becoming increasingly better adapted to humans, but may not yet be fully transmissible (substantial pandemic risk). Goal of health organizations:Maximize efforts to contain or delay spread, to possibly avert a pandemic and to gain time to implement pandemic response measures.
Phase 6. Pandemic: increased and sustained transmission in the general population. Goal of health organizations: Minimize the impact of the pandemic!
H5N1 Bird Flu News and Politics
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