How quickly can pandemics spread around the world?
The previous pandemics spread around the world in six to nine months in a time when most international travel was by ship. Given the speed and volume of international air travel today, the virus could possibly reach all continents much more quickly. Q: What’s the future outlook? A: No one can say for sure. The future of bird flu is unpredictable. Flu experts believe a pandemic can possibly be prevented or minimized, or might not materialize. In 1976, for example, the CDC predicted a swine flu epidemic. A new vaccine was rapidly made available, but the pandemic never appeared.
