the Euro zone crisis would be nothing compared to a deadly influenza virus

A recent conference organised by the World Health Organisation has stressed the importance of the international community coming together to coordinate the effort to beat future influenza pandemics. The worldwide health experts warned that it is only a matter of time before another influenza pandemic outbreak starts and that the world must be prepared for this eventuality. 

At the conference more than 100 respected influenza experts from around 30 different nations met in Mexico City with the sole purpose of coming up with ideas and formulating plans to prevent another animal to human influenza epidemic [like the swine flu virus] from taking hold.

The conference which was called Health Risks in Human-Animal Ecosystems was given the full support of the Mexican government which is only too aware of the impact of an influenza virus such as swine flu which originated in Mexico.

The World Health Organisation Assistant Director-General of Health Security and Environment, Keiji Fukuda underlined the importance of speeding up pandemic preparedness plans and warned that it was not a question of if there would be another pandemic but just a question of when!  As well as helping countries from third world with resources to prevent the spread of influenza viruses from animals to people it was also repeatedly stated that it was essential that proper monitoring of all influenza viruses around the world was coordinated so that trends and patterns which were emerging could be identified.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation Director of Animal Protection and Health, Bethe Tekola also warned that the problem was not just one for third world countries to worry about and that even first world countries such as America and the European Union had much to fear from an influenza epidemic. First world countries should remember how Mexico City completely shut down at a huge cost to the Mexican economy when the swine flu pandemic first broke out.

If a serious and deadly influenza virus started to spread in Europe, travel would be prohibited, people would not turn up to work and there could even be mass panic and riots as people tried to get their hands on influenza medications. The financial impact of the Euro zone crisis would be nothing compared to a deadly influenza virus in Europe.