Why do scientists expect another influenza pandemic?
Experts predict a pandemic influenza will happen within the next few years. Three to four times a century, a radical change will occur in the genetic material of the influenza A virus and a new subtype of the virus will suddenly appear resulting in a global epidemic, called a pandemic. In the 20th century, there were three pandemics: 19181919, 19571958, and 19681969. Experts predict that an influenza pandemic is likely to occur within the next few years, possibly within one to three years. Read Pandemic History for more information.
