Would an avian flu pandemic be similar to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic?
No one really knows. Much has changed since 1918, both in the fields of medicine and public health and in our modes of transportation. What we do know is that, in the years since past pandemics, public health officials have vastly improved their ability to detect and control infectious diseases, and they have become more vigilant. Public health officials will know when a new and serious strain of flu emerges, and they will be able to take precautions to reduce its impacts.
