Currently there is no pandemic flu in the world. An influenza pandemic is a global outbreak of disease that occurs when three conditions are met:

1. A new influenza A virus appears in the human population
2. The new virus causes serious illness in people
3. The new virus spreads easily from person to person worldwide

For more information on pandemic flu visit the CDC Pandemic Influenza: Worldwide Preparedness website.

We are currently in Phase 3.

Interpandemic Period
Phase 1: No new influenza virus subtypes have been detected in humans. An influenza virus subtype that has caused human infection may be present in animals. If present in animals, the risk of human infection or disease is considered to be low.

Phase 2: No new influenza virus subtypes have been detected in humans. However, a circulating animal influenza virus subtype poses a substantial risk of human disease.

Pandemic Alert Period
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.

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.

Phase 5: Larger cluster(s) but human-to-human spread still localized, suggesting that the virus is becoming increasingly better adapted to humans but may not yet be fully transmissible (substantial pandemic risk).

Pandemic period
Phase 6: Pandemic: increased and sustained transmission in general population.

Global health organizations are carefully monitoring the cases of avian flu that have been occurring in Asia and Eastern Europe because it is possible that the strain circulating could mutate and cause a pandemic.

The term avian influenza or bird flu simply refers to an infection caused by influenza A viruses that occur naturally among birds. The risk from human infection by avian influenza viruses is generally low because the viruses occur mainly among birds and do not usually infect humans. However, more than 100 human cases of avian influenza infection have been reported since 1997. Most cases of avian influenza infection in humans have resulted from contact with infected poultry (e.g., domesticated chicken, ducks, and turkeys) or surfaces contaminated with secretion/excretions from infected birds. The spread of avian influenza viruses from one ill person to another has been reported very rarely, and transmission has not been observed to continue beyond one person.

For more information vist the CDC Avian Influenza website.

Maps tracking avian influenza:
BBC News
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
World Health Organization

Collin County Health Care Services and Homeland Security are actively preparing for the possibility of a pandemic resulting from avian influenza or another emerging disease. Collin County Health Care Services works with physicians, hospitals and schools to track reports of influenza within the county. During the influenza season (October thru March) specimens are sent to the Department of State Health Services to monitor for changes in the seasonal influenza.

As of Monday November 28, 2005 flu activity in Texas and Collin County is "sporadic" which means that influenza has been diagnosed in the county but it is not currently wide spread. These are "normal" influenza cases and are not related to avian influenza. Currently there are no cases of avian influenza in the United States.

CDC Weekly Influenza Report

Weekly U.S. Map: Influenza Summary Update (CDC)

For information regarding Influenza in general, please visit the Influenza (Flu) Information page.