A Systems Analysis of Environmental Factors on Global Influenza Death Rates

Abstract

Deaths from the influenza virus have been occurring for 100 years which raises the issue of what is unique about this virus that has made it immune to eradication? Since the influenza virus mutates, and the environment in which it operates is a complex adaptive system, this study uses a systems methodology to analyse the effect of a range of environmental factors on influenza deaths across the world. The paper concludes that limited environmental factors may influence death rates during a pandemic, but otherwise have little effect.