When a man lacks focus in life...Life shifts its focus off the man! Get hold of that idea,the project, School degree, focus on it and get it done! Do it soon enough before life shifts its focus off You.

VOTRE FOYER
Automatically translated into French thanks to WorldLingo
Quand un homme manque du foyer dans la vie… la vie décale son foyer outre de l'homme ! Mettez la main sur cette idée, le projet, le degré d'école, foyer là-dessus et obtenez-le fait ! Faites-le assez bientôt avant des décalages de la vie son foyer outre de toi.

SU FOCO
Automatically translated into Spanish thanks to WorldLingo
¡Cuando un hombre carece el foco en vida… la vida cambia de puesto su foco del hombre! ¡Consiga el asimiento de esa idea, el proyecto, grado de la escuela, foco en él y consígalo hecho! Hágalo pronto bastante antes de cambios de la vida su foco de usted.

IL VOSTRO FUOCO
Automatically translated into Italian thanks to WorldLingo
Quando un uomo manca del centro d'interesse nella vita… la vita sposta il relativo fuoco fuori dell'uomo! Ottenga quell'idea, il progetto, il grado della scuola, fuoco su esso ed ottengalo fatto! Faccialo abbastanza presto prima degli spostamenti di vita il relativo fuoco fuori di voi.

IHR FOKUS
Automatically translated into German thanks to WorldLingo
Wenn ein Mann Fokus im Leben… ermangelt, verschiebt das Leben seinen Fokus weg vom Mann! Erreichen Sie diese Idee, das Projekt, Schulegrad, Fokus auf ihm und erhalten Sie es erfolgt! Tun Sie es bald genug vor Lebenverschiebungen sein Fokus weg von Ihnen.

SEU FOCO
Automatically translated into Portuguese thanks to WorldLingo
Quando um homem falta o foco na vida… a vida desloca seu foco fora do homem! Comece a preensão dessa idéia, o projeto, grau da escola, foco nela e comece-a feita! Faça-o logo bastante antes dos deslocamentos da vida seu foco fora de você.

DITT FOKUSERA
Automatically translated into Swedish thanks to WorldLingo
Fokusera i dess liv… livförskjutningar fokuserar av manen, när en man saknar! Få hållen av den idé, projektera, skola graden, fokusera på den och få den gjord! Gör det snart nog för dess livförskjutningar fokuserar av dig.

ВАШ ФОКУС
Automatically translated into Russian thanks to WorldLingo
Когда человек нуждается фокусе в жизни… жизнь переносит свой фокус с человека! Получите владение той идеи, проекта, STEPENи школы, фокуса на ем и получите его сделано! Сделайте его скоро достаточно перед переносами жизни свой фокус с вас.

UW NADRUK
Automatically translated into Dutch thanks to WorldLingo
Wanneer het een mensengebrek zich in het leven… concentreert verplaatst het Leven zijn nadruk van de man! Krijg greep van dat idee, het project, de graad van de School, nadruk op het en krijg het gedaan! Doe het spoedig genoeg vóór het levensverschuivingen zijn nadruk van u.

بؤرتك
Automatically translated into Arabic thanks to WorldLingo
عندما يفتقر رجل بؤرة في حياة… حياة يغيّر بؤرته من الرجل! حصلت سيطرة من أنّ فكرة, المشروع, مدرسة درجة, بؤرة على هو وحصلت هو يتمّ! أتمّت هو قريبا بكفاية قبل حياة تغيرات بؤرته من أنت.

Something deep inside her ached with the knowledge that he had intentionally infected her.

So Madeline Brooks prepared her bedroom. She placed a hammer in one corner and a butcher knife in the other. She took her former husband into the room and told him she was HIV-positive.

He already knew.

If I'm going to die of AIDS, he told her, I might as well take everyone I can with me.

Madeline Brooks, who is HIV-positive, has joined African American leaders and the health department in launching an effort to raise awareness and combat AIDS among African Americans, who make up 22 percent of the new HIV/AIDS cases in King County.

The hammer and knife were within reach. But that same ache inside of her wouldn't allow her to kill him. She thought of her six children, the youngest one 3 years old. She instead decided something positive had to come out of her dire situation. She put the hammer and knife away. Her ex-husband never knew of her intentions.

Fifteen years later, although her ex-husband died of AIDS, more than 25 pills daily have kept Brooks alive while she continues her mission to advocate for HIV prevention. Her target is the African American community throughout King County, where the rate of infection is on the brink of an epidemic.

"This disease matters if you don't know you're infected and you're spreading it around," said Brooks, 48. "I'm here to tell the story. You don't want to be ignorant your whole life."

A few local groups also are speaking out -- tired of seeing the African American community disproportionately ravaged by the disease. In King County, where African Americans make up 5 percent of the population, they total 22 percent of new HIV and AIDS cases. Nationally, half of all new HIV and AIDS cases are African American, despite being about 12 percent of the total population.

The most recent outcry is from the newly established Black Leadership Council on HIV, specifically formed to address the HIV and AIDS issues in King County.


In October, a combination of health care workers and concerned residents, including Brooks, came together to garner leadership and action within the African American community. The goal is to move beyond talking about change and actually create it by developing leaders and growing a coalition. So far, 30 people are actively a part of the organization, and 75 people are on an e-mail list and receive weekly information and updates about the organization.

"It's a call to action," said Quinten Welch, a member of the Black Leadership Council and an educator consultant for the HIV/AIDS program at Public Health -- Seattle & King County. "We need visible leaders out of the public health arena. We want to stretch our reach wide."

Brooks calls it a need to better educate the community.

"People are turning a deaf ear," Brooks said. "People still don't want to know."

A widening gap

Seattle's comparatively small African American population deceptively hides its burgeoning HIV and AIDS figures, but the disparity exists and is getting worse, especially among African immigrants, health officials say.

According to a King County Health Department report on the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS, the number of African immigrants diagnosed with HIV in King County doubled between 1997-99 and 2003-05. HIV in white people declined by 6 percent during the same time period.

African Americans in King County are more than three times more likely to be diagnosed with HIV than white people, said Bob Wood, director of the HIV/AIDS control program for Public Health. African American women countywide are 14 times more likely to be diagnosed with HIV than white women, he said.

Explaining why the figures for African Americans haven't improved in nearly a decade and those for African immigrants continue to increase at an alarming rate is complex, said Wood, who has been HIV-positive for 23 years.

Wood said a difficulty in reaching African immigrants stems from the fact that they aren't a part of just one community and have many cultures with different languages.

Many in the African American community are disadvantaged and lack education and knowledge of HIV and AIDS. African American men in prison who are having sex without protection in turn further spread the disease when they are released, Wood said

Within the African American community, and especially in predominantly black churches, homosexual behavior often is unaccepted, so many black men who are homosexually active don't identify themselves as gay. They don't consider themselves at risk, and don't protect themselves or get tested.

"If you're brought up in a culture where you can't be out, you'll get married, have kids but still be homosexually active and put your spouse at risk," Wood said. Outreach won't work if it doesn't reach those who need it most or if they refuse to hear the message, he said.

Giving back

Sitting in the driver's seat of a recreational vehicle, Brooks eats a sandwich, trying to fill her stomach after a dose of HIV medication. It's 11 a.m. and she took her first batch of pills five hours ago. After a few bites, she steps out of the RV, into the muddy parking lot of a community health center in Des Moines to meet the next group of people. Since becoming infected, Brooks has been a driver for the People of Color Against AIDS Network. Giving back to minority communities became a priority.

The nondescript RV travels throughout King County, offering free rapid HIV tests to anyone. The usual clients are poor minorities who don't go to the doctor.

Three at a time, they enter the RV and sit at three different stations where they answer a series of confidential questions before being tested. Less than 20 minutes later, they know the results. More than 2,200 people have been tested so far in 2006.

But program organizers fear the few successful programs for minorities, such as the free HIV testing, are at risk of being shut down.

After Dec. 31, funding from a Public Health grant ends, said Charles Wilson, program director for counseling and testing with the AIDS prevention organization. Created in 1987, in response to rising HIV and AIDS rates in the African American community, it is the only community-based organization providing HIV/AIDS prevention services targeting all communities of color, he said.

Wood said the organization received four grants from the health department totaling more than $600,000, including $98,000 used for the outreach testing program. The RV is owned by the health department. Wood confirmed that the health department doesn't plan to fund the HIV testing for 2007, a decision made by a series of community panels that look at data and needs assessments to determine where funds go, he said. The other three grants end in 2007, he said, and a separate county grant still is being considered for next year.

During the past four years, Wilson said the group showed it can reach a higher proportion of people of color, people who had not tested previously and a different population of color than those who seek HIV services at health department testing programs.

"If a person does not know they are infected, they cannot get any treatment or care," Wilson said. "In too many places, people are diagnosed with HIV when they are seriously ill, and those who don't know are at an increased exposure of others to the virus."

Wood agrees the greatest success is by addressing problems within each community by people who know and represent the community best. But more still needs to be done.

"My sense is it's still not enough; we're not doing enough for any one of these cultures," Wood said. "People think AIDS is a livable disease, but it's costly and toxic."

Medicaid pays for Brooks to live with her disease, she said. Letting people know she's infected has become easier over time. Her children, the youngest now 18, look after her and make sure she takes her medication. None is HIV-positive, she said. If she doesn't feel well, they take care if her.

She speaks to different groups and organizations, keeping busy and trying not to think about her diagnosis.

"I don't do pity parties," she said. "I'm not just here to help myself, but also those coming up behind me.

"I put a face to HIV. Even if it doesn't help someone right away, it will help them down the line."

HIV / AIDS NATIONALLY

According to the 2000 Census, African Americans make up about 12 percent of the U.S. population, but account for half of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. More than 60 percent of HIV/AIDS diagnosed in people younger than 25 between 2001 and 2004 were African American. AIDS is the No. 1 cause of death for women ages 25-34. AIDS is the No. 2 cause of death for men ages 35-44.

HIV / AIDS IN KING COUNTY

African Americans are 3.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with HIV than white people.

African American women are 14 times more likely to be diagnosed with HIV than white women.

YOUTHS FOR THE NEW ERA

By FEMI DUROJAYE
Edited by Burton Danet, Ph.D.


Youths are generally considered as teenagers or young individuals. The most general age range cited for youth is between 14 and 25. However, the age range can vary from country to country. For example, in Britain the range is ages 16-18; in Italy, 14-29; in Kenya 15-35. Thus the age range may depend on the country whenever considering “youth.”

The United Nations defines youth as those between the ages of 15 and 24 years inclusive. This definition was made for the “International Youth Year” in 1985. As a result, all United Nations statistics on youth have used this standard definition. The definition has been criticized on a number of occasions, with the Third World Youth Forum of the United Nations System (2001) calling for the age range to be up to 30:

A youth is not necessarily someone in the teen years or under 20’s or someone who is still single as some people insinuate.

A youth is not compulsorily an undergraduate in a university or in a tertiary institution.

A youth is not someone with an attractive physique

Although a youth may have any of the above qualities, being a youth is not contingent on any of the above.

This writer suggests that any age can be relative. For example, it is possible to have a youthful mind in a chronologically older body. Thus someone 55 years old may think and act just like a vibrant 15 year-old!

In his article on “The Age of Youth,” Secretary General of the World Assembly of Youth (WAY), Donals T. Charumbira, suggested, “Youth should not merely be defined as the biological transition from childhood or adolescence to adulthood, but rather as a stage of transition from one socioeconomic, psychosocial status to another.”

A youth can have a distinctive definition of life. There are many outstanding youths out there who are contributing immensely to their immediate societies and the world at large. Rosanwo Tunde, the moderator of AYELOJA in Yahoo groups. Is such a youth with understanding of human terrain in life, Ambassador Dayo Israel of the African Diaspora Youth Forum is another outstanding youth, who is known for touching lives and raising champions, Victor Gotevbe of NiPRO, Who has demonstrated his leadership skills in coordinating the affairs of Nigerian Young Professionals, There are many other outstanding youths not possible to list here.

Events don’t make great men; great men make events great! Therefore Youth of the World announce a “New Era:” The Pathfinders, the Trail Blazers, and the Trend Makers. These youth represent and stand for change. Despite living the same physical world, a new world order can be defined by such youth.

ATTRIBUTES OF YOUTH FOR A “NEW ERA:”

Youth who do not see impossibilities?
Youth who refuse to yield to failure?
Youth who are always learning and earning;
Youth who do not just look but see the inner dynamics of operations and functions;
Youth who do not give up?
Youth who do not give in?
Youth who gives their all to worthwhile adventures;
Youth who stay in their strong zone;
Youth who provide greater productivity; and
Youth who strive to reach their potential in life with gusto!

Donald T. Charumbira, Secretary General, World Assembly of Youth (WAY) in his article on Age of Youth also said:

“Youth is therefore a societal construction, peculiar to the social, cultural, economic and political realities within the society.”

In a nutshell, any one at any age can have significant talent and limitless potential and therefore can be considered a youth! “Youth of All Ages!”

YOUTH PRIORITIES

To increase focus and to become effective on a level you have never experienced before, it is possible to make a decision to prioritize your life and manage the discipline of such priorities every day.

To be successful, youth cannot simply run on a fast track, run instead on YOUR track!

To devote even a little bit of energy to a project, you may want to handle such effort with all the energy you can muster!
.
When you find yourself thinking, “I need more time,” just try to prioritize what you can do. Everyone has the same 1,440 minutes in a day, no matter what the activity you may wish to accomplish.

In your

20’s …….Your priorities can remove the guilt of not doing everything.

30’s …….Your priorities can help you separate your strength from your weaknesses.

40’s……..Your priorities can give you a higher return on your work.

50’s …….Your priorities can allow you to reorder taking into account your weaknesses.

There comes a time in life when it is possible to realize that, if one stands still, you may remain at such a point forever. If you realize that life quickly can pass by, then every minute counts! The intensity of purpose can increase with growing awareness of obstacles encountered!

Here is an original concept, a new movement: “Youths on the Move International (YOM)” YOM is a youth-driven organization cutting across nations and continents. Any and every youth with zeal to fulfill destiny can consider becoming part of this youth movement.

Consider the best antidote of fate: FAITH!

Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present. Have faith that you will not fail. The difference between one who succeeds and one who fails is in the measure of one’s faith. It is such faith that helps distinguish a person in the world. A little measure of faith will result in one’s standing still.

Have faith in yourself! You can be your own best friend!

Lack of belief will put obstacles in our path. By believing in yourself, you will be relieved of your limitations!

If you create an indelible stamp on your mind that includes a mental picture of yourself as succeeding, YOU WILL SUCCEED!

Hold such a picture tenaciously and never permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to develop this picture even further! Maximizing the power of the mind avoids its waste!

With all of the above under consideration, let us usher in for youth everywhere a NEW
ERA!

“Youths on the Move International (YOM)”

Flu
OVERVIEW

Influenza, or flu, is a respiratory infection. The most familiar aspect of the flu is the way it can "knock you off your feet" as it sweeps through entire communities.

The flu differs in several ways from the common cold, a respiratory infection also caused by viruses. For example, people with colds rarely get fevers or headaches or suffer from the extreme exhaustion that flu viruses cause.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 5 to 20 percent of Americans come down with the flu during each flu season, which typically lasts from November to March. Children are two to three times more likely than adults to get sick with the flu, and children frequently spread the virus to others. Although most people recover from the illness, CDC estimates that in the United States more than 200,000 people are hospitalized and about 36,000 people die from the flu and its complications every year.

Flu outbreaks

Flu outbreaks usually begin suddenly and occur mainly in the late fall and winter. The disease spreads through communities creating an epidemic. During the epidemic, the number of cases peaks in about 3 weeks and subsides after another 3 or 4 weeks. Half of the population of a community may be affected. Because schools are an excellent place for flu viruses to attack and spread, families with school-age children have more infections than other families, with an average of one-third of family members infected each year.

Importance of flu

In addition to the rapid start of the outbreaks and the large number of people affected, the flu is an important disease because it can cause serious complications. Most people who get the flu get better within a week (although they may have a lingering cough and tire easily for a while longer). For elderly people, newborn babies, and people with certain chronic illnesses, however, the flu and its complications can be life-threatening.
CAUSE
Flu is caused by a variety of influenza viruses. Researchers identified the first virus in the 1930s. Since then, they have classified influenza viruses into types A, B, and C.

* Type A is the most common and usually causes the most serious epidemics.
* Type B outbreaks also can cause epidemics, but the disease it produces generally is milder than that caused by type A.
* Type C viruses, on the other hand, never have been connected with a large epidemic.

TRANSMISSION
You can get the flu if someone around you who has the flu coughs or sneezes. You can get the flu simply by touching a surface like a telephone or door knob that has been contaminated by a touch from someone who has the flu. The viruses can pass through the air and enter your body through your nose or mouth. If you've touched a contaminated surface, they can pass from your hand to your nose or mouth.

You are at greatest risk of getting infected in highly populated areas, such as in crowded living conditions and in schools.
SYMPTOMS
If you get infected by the flu virus, you will usually feel symptoms 1 to 4 days later. You can spread the flu to others before your symptoms start and for another 3 to 4 days after your symptoms appear. The symptoms start very quickly and may include

* Body aches
* Chills
* Dry cough
* Fever
* Headache
* Sore throat
* Stuffy nose

Typically, the fever begins to decline on the second or third day of the illness. The flu almost never causes symptoms in the stomach and intestines. The illness that some call "stomach flu" is not influenza.
DIAGNOSIS
Usually, health care providers diagnose the flu on the basis of whether it is epidemic in the community and whether the person's complaints fit the current pattern of symptoms. Health care providers rarely use laboratory tests to identify the virus during an epidemic. Health officials, however, monitor certain U.S. health clinics and do laboratory tests to determine which type of flu virus is responsible for the epidemic.
TREATMENT
Many people treat their flu by simply

* Resting in bed
* Drinking plenty of fluids
* Taking over-the-counter medicine such as aspirin or acetaminophen (Tylenol, for example)

COMPLICATIONS
You can have flu complications if you get a bacterial infection, which can cause pneumonia in your weakened lungs. Pneumonia also can be caused by the flu virus itself.

Complications usually appear after you start feeling better. After a brief period of improvement, you may suddenly get these symptoms

* High fever
* Shaking chills
* Chest pain with each breath
* Coughing that produces thick, yellow-greenish-colored mucus

Medicine for Treatment

If you do get the flu and want to take medicine to treat it, your health care provider may prescribe an antiviral medicine.

* Tamiflu (oseltamivir) is for treating influenza A and B virus infections in adults and children 1 year and older.
* Relenza (zanamivir) is for treating influenza A and B virus infections in children 7 years and older and adults who have an uncomplicated flu infection and who have had symptoms for no more than 2 days.

To work well, you must take these medicines within 48 hours after the flu begins. They reduce the length of time fever and other symptoms last and allow you to more quickly return to your daily routine.

NOTE: Because of influenza A virus resistance to rimantadine and amantadine, CDC currently recommends that you not take these medicines to treat the flu.

Do not give aspirin to children and adolescents who have the flu.

Do not take antibiotics to treat the flu because they do not work on viruses. Antibiotics only work against some infections caused by bacteria.
PREVENTION
Flu Vaccine

The main way to keep from getting the flu is to get a yearly flu vaccine. You can get the vaccine at your doctor's office or a local clinic, and in many communities at workplaces, supermarkets, and drugstores. You must get the vaccine every year because it changes.

Scientists make a different vaccine every year because the strains of flu viruses change from year to year. Nine to 10 months before the flu season begins, they prepare a new vaccine made from inactivated (killed) flu viruses. Because the viruses have been killed, they cannot infect you. The vaccine preparation is based on the strains of the flu viruses that are in circulation at the time. It includes those A and B viruses (see section on types of flu viruses) expected to circulate the following winter.

Sometimes, an unpredicted new strain may appear after the vaccine has been made and distributed to doctors' offices and clinics. Because of this, even if you do get the flu vaccine, you still may get infected. If you do get infected, however, the disease usually is milder because the vaccine will still give you some protection.

Your immune system takes time to respond to the flu vaccine. Therefore, you should get vaccinated every year in October or November to prevent getting infected or reduce the severity of the flu if you do get it. Because the flu season usually lasts until March, however, it's not too late to get it after the season has begun. The vaccine itself cannot cause the flu, but you could become exposed to the virus by someone else and get infected soon after you are vaccinated.

Until recently, you could get the flu vaccine only as an injection (shot). In 2003, however, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a nasal spray flu vaccine called FluMist that you can get from your health care provider. FDA approved it for use in healthy people aged 5 to 49 years who are not pregnant.

Because the flu vaccine can cause problems, or side effects, in some people, CDC recommends you talk with your health care provider before getting a flu vaccine shot or nasal spray flu vaccine.

Possible side effects

You should be aware that the flu vaccine can cause side effects. The most common side effect in children and adults is soreness at the site of the vaccination. Other side effects, especially in children who previously have not been exposed to the flu virus, include fever, tiredness, and sore muscles. These side effects may begin 6 to 12 hours after vaccination and may last for up to 2 days.

Viruses for producing the vaccine are grown in chicken eggs and then killed with a chemical so that they can no longer cause an infection. The flu vaccine may contain some egg protein, which can cause an allergic reaction if you are allergic to eggs.

Vaccine recommendations

If you are in any of the following groups or live in a household with or provide care for someone who is, CDC recommends that you get the flu vaccine.

* You are 50 years of age or older
* You have chronic diseases of your heart, lungs, or kidneys
* You have diabetes
* Your immune system does not function properly
* You have a severe form of anemia
* You will be more than 3 months pregnant during the flu season
* You live in a nursing home or other chronic-care housing facility
* You are in close contact with infants or children up to 5 years of age

CDC recommends children from age 6 months up to their fifth birthday get the flu vaccine.

Medicine for Prevention

Although the flu vaccine is the best way to prevent getting the flu, two antiviral medicines also are available by prescription that will help prevent flu infection-Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir).

* These medicines help prevent the flu if you take them for at least 2 weeks during the outbreak of flu in your community.
* You may use these medicines if you are in close contact with family members or others who have the flu.
* You may use them if you are in close contact with people who have been vaccinated but whom you want to give added protection from getting the flu.
* You may use them immediately following flu vaccination during a flu epidemic to protect you during the 2- to 4-week period before antibodies develop or when a flu epidemic is caused by virus strains other than those covered by the vaccine. (Antibodies are proteins from your immune system that protect you from the flu virus.)

NOTE: Because of influenza A virus resistance to rimantadine and amantadine, CDC currently recommends that you not take these medicines to prevent flu.

Your health care provider can help you decide which medicine is best for you. You should discuss the flu vaccine and medicines with your health care provider before the flu season begins.

Healthy habits

Good health habits are also important to help prevent the flu.

* Wash your hands often to help protect you from germs.
* Avoid close contact with people who are sick, if possible.
* Keep your distance from others when you are sick, to protect them from becoming infected.
* Stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick, if possible, to help prevent others from catching your illness.
* Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
* Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs are often spread when you touch something that is contaminated with them and then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.

You can get more recommendations to prevent and treat flu from the CDC Web site www.cdc.gov/flu.
COMPLICATIONS
You can have flu complications if you get a bacterial infection, which can cause pneumonia in your weakened lungs. Pneumonia also can be caused by the flu virus itself.

Complications usually appear after you start feeling better. After a brief period of improvement, you may suddenly get these symptoms

* High fever
* Shaking chills
* Chest pain with each breath
* Coughing that produces thick, yellow-greenish-colored mucus

Pneumonia can be a very serious and sometimes life-threatening condition. If you have any of these symptoms, you should contact your health care provider immediately to get the appropriate treatment.

Flu complications in children and teenagers

Reye's syndrome, a condition that affects the nerves, sometimes develops in children and teenagers who are recovering from the flu. Reye's syndrome begins with nausea and vomiting, but the progressive mental changes (such as confusion or delirium) cause the greatest concern.

The syndrome often begins in young people after they take aspirin to get rid of fever or pain. Although very few children develop Reye's syndrome, you should consult a health care provider before giving aspirin or products that contain aspirin to children. Acetaminophen does not seem to be connected with Reye's syndrome.

Other complications of the flu that can affect children are

* Convulsions caused by fever
* Croup
* Ear infections, such as otitis media

Newborn babies recently out of intensive care units are particularly vulnerable to suffering from flu complications.
RESEARCH
To prevent another flu pandemic and reduce the number of flu epidemics, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) supports research to find out how influenza viruses work. NIAID also seeks to develop better vaccines to prevent and treat influenza virus infections.

Although flu epidemics pop up in the fall and winter seasons in communities throughout the world every year, there has not been a pandemic since 1968. Scientists are worried that a new flu virus will emerge in this century and cause a severe pandemic again. For this reason, research institutions and health departments around the world are cooperating to track flu outbreaks in humans and animals, and to determine what types and strains of flu viruses cause outbreaks.
MORE INFORMATION

Visit PandemicFlu.gov for one-stop access to U.S. Government avian and pandemic flu information. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for Pandemic Influenza Planning.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
www.niaid.nih.gov/news/focuson/flu

National Institute on Aging
31 Center Drive, MSC 2292
Bethesda, MD 20892-2292
301-496-1752
www.nia.nih.gov

National Library of Medicine
MedlinePlus
8600 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20894
1-888-FIND-NLM (1-888-346-3656) or 301-594-5983
www.medlineplus.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road
Atlanta, GA 30333
1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) or 404-639-3534
www.cdc.gov

Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857-0001
1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332)
www.fda.gov

The American Lung Association
61 Broadway, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10006
212-315-8700
www.lungusa.org

National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
National Coalition for Adult Immunization
4733 Bethesda Avenue, Suite 750
Bethesda, MD 20814-5278
301-656-0003
www.nfid.org/library/influenza
www.nfid.org/ncai