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3 days ago · Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), organization founded in December 1902 to improve health conditions in North and South America. The organization, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C., is the oldest international health agency in the world and was the first international organization to promote health research and education.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
4 days ago · COVID-19 is characterized by a variety of symptoms, including fever, cough, congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath, headache, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, loss of smell or taste, and body aches. COVID-19 may progress to severe respiratory illness, with symptoms of chest pain and extreme difficulty in breathing, requiring hospitalization.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
4 days ago · COVID-19, a new infectious disease, emerged in 2019, and the following year it was designated a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Fauci served on Republican Pres. Donald Trump’s task force, and he helped devise the government’s response to the deadly virus. In a 2024 interview with Britannica, Fauci spoke of the impact of the pandemic.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
4 days ago · The pandemic potential of the new H1N1 virus was made clear to the international community by the World Health Organization (WHO), which declared a level 5 pandemic alert on April 29, 2009. This prompted the rapid implementation of mitigation procedures, including the distribution of drugs to treatment facilities, in countries worldwide.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- What is influenza?Influenza is an acute viral infection of the upper or lower respiratory tract marked by fever, chills, and a generalized feeling of weakness and pa...
- What type of virus causes influenza?Influenza is caused by several closely related viruses in the family Orthomyxoviridae, an RNA virus group. Influenza viruses are categorized as typ...
- What is the difference between influenza epidemics and influenza pandemics?Pandemics are worldwide outbreaks of a disease and are estimated to occur on average once every 50 years for influenza. Epidemics happen much more...
- What is pandemic influenza preparedness?When an influenza pandemic emerges, WHO adheres to its six-phase preparedness plan. Phases 1–3 are the early stages in pandemic preparedness design...
- What are the symptoms of influenza?The symptoms of influenza include sudden and distinct chills, fatigue, and muscle aches. A person’s body temperature rises rapidly to 38–40 °C (101...
4 days ago · immune system, the complex group of defense responses found in humans and other advanced vertebrates that helps repel disease-causing organisms (pathogens). Immunity from disease is actually conferred by two cooperative defense systems, called nonspecific, innate immunity and specific, acquired immunity. Nonspecific protective mechanisms repel ...
3 days ago · European Union (EU), international organization comprising 27 European countries and governing common economic, social, and security policies. The EU was created by the Maastricht Treaty, which entered into force on November 1, 1993. The EU’s common currency is the euro. Learn more about the EU in this article.
3 days ago · North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington Treaty) of April 4, 1949, which sought to create a counterweight to Soviet armies stationed in central and eastern Europe after World War II. Its original members were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy ...
