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Previous Volume 341:1387-1388 October 28, 1999 Number 18 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Influenza is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease of global importance. It is also a model of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases,¹ for two reasons. First, annual epidemics of influenza are caused by viruses that have evolved sufficiently to reinfect persons who were infected by related strains that circulated previously. Second, influenza pandemics can occur unpredictably as a result of the emergence of new subtypes of influenza A viruses harbored in birds.

We are faced with the near certainty that another pandemic will occur sometime in the future. This prediction is based on observations from past centuries and our current . . . [Full Text of this Article]

References

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Oliveira, E. C., Lee, B., Colice, G. L. (2003). Influenza in the Intensive Care Unit. J Intensive Care Med 18: 80-91 [Abstract]  
• Wright, P. (2000). Influenza in the Family. NEJM 343: 1331-1332 [Full Text]