# 3591
While there is a saying among epidemiologists, “That if you’ve seen one pandemic . . . you’ve seen one pandemic” there undoubtedly are lessons we can learn from pandemics of the past to help us as we plan and prepare for the pandemic fall and winter of 2009-10.
UPMC (The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) Center for Biosecurity today has issued a press release on their freshly published paper that advises using the 1957-58 Pandemic to help plan for this winter’s pandemic.
The press release is below (follow the link to read it in its entirety), followed by links to the freely available 10 page PDF file.
1957-58 Flu Pandemic Can Provide Clues to Planning for h1n1
Center for Biosecurity of UPMC logo. (PRNewsFoto/Center for Biosecurity of UPMC)
BALTIMORE, MD UNITED STATESSimilarities Between 2 Pandemics Can Aid in Preparedness and Response
BALTIMORE, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the U.S. prepares for a resurgence of H1N1 influenza this fall, much can be learned from looking at a previous pandemic that had similar patterns. In an article published today in Biosecurity and Bioterrorism, researchers at the Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) examined historical documents, published material, and newspaper coverage related to the 1957-58 influenza pandemic to compare the progress and severity of that outbreak with the current one. The simple, practical actions taken in 1957 allowed the country to continue functioning with minimal disruption.
Lead author Dr. D. A. Henderson had major responsibility for establishing the CDC influenza surveillance program during the early stages of the 1957 flu; data and analysis of events presented are based on his direct experiences as well as copies of surveillance reports that were published in 1957-58.
Public Health and Medical Responses to the 1957-58 Influenza Pandemic
D. A. Henderson, Brooke Courtney, Thomas V. Inglesby, Eric Toner, Jennifer B. Nuzzo
Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science. August 2009, ahead of print.
