This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA

Rebecca Voelker

JAMA. 1999;281:123.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Experts from around the world have joined to campaign for improved prevention and treatment of influenza.

Members of the newly formed International Influenza Education Panel said last month that their objectives are to heighten awareness of influenza's substantial morbidity and mortality rates and to improve the diagnosis and control of influenza. Panel members pointed out that influenza affects 10% to 15% of the world's population annually. Economic losses also are considerable. The panel noted that in the United Kingdom (UK), about 150 million working days lost to influenza cost the economy about £6.75 billion each year.

"Influenza A or B viruses cause a serious respiratory tract infection with associated symptoms—fever, muscular aches, cough, and headache—that affect several parts of the body at the same time.

"We are all potentially at risk of being ‘knocked off our feet' for several days from influenza infection, with complete recovery taking 10 . . . [Full Text of this Article]