WEBQUEST

Bird Flu Today Public Awareness Campaign

Researcher 4: For avian influenza, are public health measures the most effective prevention option?

Many will argue that public health measures are the best way to control and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. How can we learn from our past experiences dealing with pandemics?

1. What effects have public health measures had on reducing deaths due to infectious disease in the United States? What measures have had the greatest impact?

View public health section of exhibit

2. What is epidemiolgy?

http://www.cdc.gov/excite/classroom/intro_epi.htm#studies

3. How have public health measures worked in the past to eradicate disease from parts of the world?

See public health section of exhibit
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs107/en/index.html (especially the section on epidemic control)

4. What animals are involved in spreading and transmitting avian influenza?
Can this information be used to control the spread of the disease?

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/transmission.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/health/interactives/birdflu/
http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/
avian_influenza/avian_influenza_maps.jsp

5. Why is avian influenza spreading so quickly in some regions and not in others? What are some possible ways that it may spread globally?

http://sciencemag.org
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/avian_influenza/en/