Pandemic Influenza Planning
An influenza pandemic can occur when a radical change takes place in influenza A virus, causing the emergence of a new strain against which people have little or no immunity. If this new subtype, or strain, has the ability to spread easily from person to person, many people around the world could become ill and possibly die. This is referred to as an influenza pandemic.
One way a new strain can emerge is if a person sick with a human influenza virus also becomes infected with an avian influenza virus and the two viruses re- assort, or "mix." This means that the avian influenza virus acquires some of the human influenza genes, potentially creating a new subtype of influenza A virus against which people have no immunity. Another way a change can occur is for an avian influenza virus to undergo a number of changes or mutations resulting in the ability of the new strain to infect people and be transmitted among humans.
The City of Edmonton has developed and exercised a Pandemic Influenza Contingency plan that is reviewed on a regular basis.
