Updated December 2005

Produced by the World Health Organization (WHO), this handbook was created to help demystify the science behind avian and pandemic influenza. It's an introduction to everything journalists 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 can be used as a 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 on the WHO website.

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WHO Press Release, December 15 2005.