N.C. Pandemic Flu Preparedness
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Welcome to ncpanflu.gov, a web site dedicated to North Carolina's efforts to prepare for a pandemic flu outbreak.

Flu Terms

  • Novel Influenza A (H1N1): Novel influenza A (H1N1) is a new flu virus that was first detected in April, 2009. The virus is infecting people and is spreading from person-to-person, and has sparked a growing outbreak of illness in the United States with an increasing number of cases being reported internationally as well. This virus was originally referred to as “swine flu” because laboratory testing showed that many of the genes in this new virus were very similar to influenza viruses that normally occur in pigs in North America. But further study has shown that this new virus is very different from what normally circulates in North American pigs.
  • Pandemic Flu: A virulent human flu that causes a global outbreak, or pandemic, of serious illness. Because there is little natural immunity, the disease can spread easily from person to person.
  • Seasonal Flu (Common Flu): The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. October or November is the best time to get vaccinated, but you can still get vaccinated in December and later.
  • Avian Influenza (Bird Flu): Bird flu is caused by influenza viruses that occur naturally among wild birds. Low pathogenic AI is common in birds and causes few problems. Highly pathogenic H5N1 is deadly to domestic fowl, can be transmitted from birds to humans, and is deadly to humans. There is virtually no human immunity and human vaccine availability is very limited.
  • Swine Influenza (Swine Flu): Swine influenza is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus. Swine flu viruses cause high levels of illness and low death rates in pigs. These viruses can rarely cause infection in humans.

What are the differences between seasonal and pandemic flu?

North Carolina Division of Public Health: Resources

Item Description

School Dismissal Materials

  1. North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Pandemic Flu Resources for Schools
  2. CDC School Closure Planning Exercise
  3. Department of Defense Pandemic Influenza Action Plan
  4. U.S. Dept. of Education Severe Pandemic Flu Guidance (PDF, 260 KB)

Information from the U.S. Department of Education and materials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Department of Defense to prepare schools to take action during a pandemic influenza outbreak.
Pandemic Flu and You A number of pandemic flu educational materials for families, schools, businesses, health and service providers (in English and Spanish).
Influenza Sentinel Surveillance Program Reports on the total number of patient visits to each practice or agency for a week and the number of patients with symptoms of influenza-like illness (ILI), broken down into four age groups.
N.C. Pandemic Influenza (Flu) Plan North Carolina's plan for preparing for and responding to a pandemic influenza outbreak.
Local Health Department Toolkit Pandemic Flu preparation and response plan geared toward Local Health Departments.

Other Resources

Item Description
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Pandemic Flu Site (pandemicflu.gov) One-stop access to U.S. Government avian and pandemic flu information. Managed by the Department of Health and Human Services; includes a toolkit - Take the Lead: Working Together to Prepare Now.

World Health Organization

 The role of WHO and recommendations for national measures before and during pandemics.
CDC Flu Web Page Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): National Immunization Program flu web page - General information about influenza.
University of Minnesota-Promising Practices-Pandemic Preparedness Tools A project aimed at enhancing public health preparedness for an influenza pandemic and conserving resources by sharing promising practices throughout the nation.
CDC: Flu Activity and Surveillance (Reports and Surveillance Methods in the U.S.) A collaborative effort between CDC and its many partners in state and local health departments which allows the CDC to track and report on the flu. Reports are updated weekly.
U.S. Department of Labor OSHA guidelines on how to prepare workplaces for pandemic flu.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Avian Flu Site The latest Avian Flu (Bird Flu) online information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Avian Flu Site Information for Hunters, Bird Watchers, and Backyard Naturalists About Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

 "What Hunters Should Know About Avian Flu".
North Carolina's Ethical Guidelines for an Influenza Pandemic (April 2007) Report from the North Carolina Institute of Medicine Task Force on Ethics and Pandemic Influenza Planning which explores several ethical issues.

American Red Cross Pandemic Flu Information

 Red Cross works with organizations such as the WHO and CDC, and at this time has taken on the role of working with communities across the country on flu pandemic education.
U.S. Department of Education Advice on pandemic flu emergency planning from the U.S. Department of Education.

H1N1 (Swine) Flu

H1N1 (Swine Flu)

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News

Contacts
  • For more information about what your community is doing to prepare for a pandemic flu, contact your local health department or the DHHS CARE-LINE at 1-800-662-7030.

 
Last Modified: Friday, May 15, 2009 12:37 PM
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