World Crisis scenarios for the 21st century - Bird Flu (H5N1) and other pandemic Virus concerns (update 11)

World Crisis scenarios for the 21st century - Bird Flu (H5N1) and other pandemic Virus concerns (update 11)

Already the A H1N1 (or Swine flu) has reached pandemic levels. With major country outbreaks (as defined by a pandemic) with Australia recording the highest amount, outside the Americas, of effected people by 620.

A H1N1 in it's present form is a mild influenza, but it's spreading more rapidly than nominal influenza, as far as moving from country to country in a short period of time. This is the concern as the southern hemisphere goes into it's flu season the question is how will the A H1N1 mutate. Will it become a pandemic killer like the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic ? This is why the World Health Organization is concerned is that it can rebound from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere (in which the milder influenza A H1N1 has already achieved a footing) and become a global killer.