From the Publisher
No one is immune to the potential devastation of a mass pandemic influenza outbreak, yet despite recent small outbreaks and dire warnings from the WHO that such an event is imminent and overdue, our readiness continues to lag. … This collection aims to introduce readers to the most critical global and domestic issues regarding a potential pandemic. Featuring the contributions of thirteen experts, the volume helps planners and responders with an understanding of outbreak containment and response planning, providing a detailed analysis of our present capabilities and potential weaknesses. The first section reviews the history of pandemics and discusses the deadly 1918 Spanish flu. The middle chapters examine the biology of the virus and the clinical aspects of influenza, with special attention given to avian flu. The final chapters examine international and federal programs and discuss response at the local level, including service continuation planning and fatality management. Public health and emergency preparedness professionals, as well as policymakers at all levels, will find a wealth of relevant information that will let them figure out their priorities and allocate the proper resources to mitigate the damages of a pandemic influenza.
—Abstracts of Public Administration, Development, and Environment (APADE), Fall 2010
This helpful, concise volume covers all the basics of pandemic preparedness. Written by emergency management professionals (from agencies like the US Public Health Service, FEMA, and state health departments) who know the nuts and bolts of disaster response, it will be useful to a wide range of planners, whether they work in public services or are formulating business operations plans . . . The graphs, photos, glossaries, resource lists, and tables—on everything from the facilities involved in poultry population to vaccine priority groups to guidelines for certifying deaths and strong bodies—make this a hand manual for both emergency management professionals and laypeople.
—K.H. Jacobsen, George Mason University, in Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, Vol. 46, No. 10, June 2009
... targeted primarily at public health planners involved in preparing community responses to the next influenza pandemic. However, this book also serves as a good reference to many aspects of pandemic influenza, providing a historical perspective as well as up-to-date information in the field of molecular virology. ... a very interesting book that covers some of the less documented and less understood aspects of pandemic planning. For those planners who delve into the finer details, it will improve their ability to inform communities and businesses to “fight back” when the big one hits.
—Alex J. Elliot, Health Protection Agency West Midlands–Regional Surveillance Unit, Birmingham, UK, in CID, August 2009, Vol. 49
