NOVEL H1N1 INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC: Lessons From A Tertiary Centre In Bangalore

In the new millennium, the world has seen the emergence of three novel human respiratory viruses; SARS virus (a novel Corona virus) in 2003, Influenza H5N1 (‘Avian flu’) in 2004 and now an international outbreak caused by a new strain of Novel 2009 Influenza virus A/H1N1[1]. This novel Influenza 2009 A/H1N1 virus contains a combination of swine, avian, and human influenza virus genes. In sharp contrast to SARS and Avian Influenza H5N1 viruses which emerged from the Asian continent, Influenza 2009 A/H1N1 virus emerged from North America. We review this virus outbreak.