BACKGROUND The outbreak of the pandemic flu, Influenza A H1N1 (Swine Flu) in early 2009, provided a major challenge to health services around the world. Previous pandemics have led to stockpiling of goods, the victimisation of particular population groups, and the cancellation of travel and the boycotting of particular foods (e.g. pork). We examined initial behavioural and attitudinal responses...

Genetic Recombination in the 1918 “Spanish Flu” Virus Influenza viral sequences have been obtained from preserved tissues of victims of the “Spanish flu” pandemic that killed over 20 million people from 1918 to 1919 (1, 2). Phylogenetic analysis of hemagglutinin (HA) gene sequences has indicated that the 1918 Spanish flu virus was more closely related to the human lineage than to the swine or a...

Swine flu is the present focus of the world. It affects millions of world population and result in many social impacts. This disease is caused by the novel H 1 N 1 influenza virus infection. The main manifestation of H 1 N 1 influenza is the acute febrile illness with respiratory signs and symptoms. The severe infection can result in lower respiratory tract involvement, respiratory failure, or ...

Influenza is a disease of global dimension occurring in annual epidemics, and infrequently as pandemic with high attack rates. The annual epidemics result in the host population updating its pool of humoral immunity by exposure to the most recent viruses carrying altered antigenic specificity caused by 'anti-gen shift' in the haemagglutinin (H) ligand. Pandemics are caused by 'antigen drift'. T...

Mathematical models are useful weapons in the crime-fighting arsenal. With the development of cheaper and more powerful computers, mathematical modelling of systems representing some aspect of crime or criminal behaviour and the analysis of the resulting numerical solutions is becomingmore popular. Models may be and numerical simulation via the computer must be used to determine their approxima...