Geneva - To help demystify the science behind avian and pandemic influenza, the World Health Organization (WHO) has produced an influenza pandemic handbook for journalists. It´s an introduction to everything you need to know about influenza, including about avian influenza and the potential for a pandemic.
In the handbook you´ll find:
* The influenza basics
* Avian influenza and pandemic influenza - what´s the difference?
* 20th century influenza pandemics - the facts
* What we don´t know
* Antivirals and vaccines - how will they work?
* WHO´s pandemic phases - what do they mean?
* Getting ready: Influenza pandemic preparedness
For journalists already familiar with avian and pandemic influenza, the handbook is an indispensable fact-checking reference. For those new to the issues, it´s a pandemic primer to help put reporting in context, and a source for essential facts and figures. As the avian influenza situation continues to evolve, so too will this handbook and updates will be posted regularly.
The WHO Handbook for Journalists: Influenza Pandemic -- is available in the WHO media centre <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/en/> or directly at <http://www.who.int/csr/don/Handbook_influenza_pandemic_dec05.pdf>.
For more information please contact Maria Cheng, Communications Officer, Tel: +41 22 791 3982, email: chengm@who.int <mailto:chengm@who.int>
For more information about avian and pandemic influenza, see <http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/index.html>