Over the past fifteen years, H5N1 influenza (also known as bird flu or bird flu) has become a common topic of speculation and debate around the world, causing some confusion on its possible impacts on humans. our company. At this point it is generally recognized by the international medical community that avian influenza is destined to become a pandemic, most likely within the next ten years. Research on avian influenza and its effects has led many scholars to make dire predictions about severe global turbulence, while a small portion of medical scientists remain skeptical, believing that we will have enough time to thoroughly prepare for the epidemic. The one thing that almost all health professionals seem to agree on is that avian influenza will definitely have a great impact on the development of mankind. To truly understand the threat of this disease and what we need to do to prepare for it, we must look at the issue from multiple angles and consider what the spread of such a lethal and mutating disease would mean for our daily lives. healthcare workers, government laws and procedures, and of course, the continuation of the human race. To understand the impact of avian influenza on society it is necessary to first understand what H5N1 influenza is. Like any virus, influenza viruses cannot reproduce on their own like bacteria can. Technically, viruses aren't even alive because to reproduce they must take over the living cell of another organism. This makes all viral diseases notoriously difficult to treat because modern research has yet to reveal a drug or procedure that can kill a virus without killing its host. The best drugs currently available to treat viruses can only prevent the virus from...... middle of paper ......pe.com/viewarticle/757540>.Swain, James C., Linda L. Chezem, Caroline S. Cooper, Kim B. Norris, Carolyn T. Ortwein, Ronald J. Taylor, Fred Wilson, Francis Schmitz, Daniel O'Brien, Clifford Reeves, Elaine Snyder,13) Thomas, James C. and Siobhan Young . “Wake me up when there's a crisis: Advances in state ethical preparedness for the influenza pandemic.” American Journal of Public Health 101.11 (2011): 2080-082. ProQuest. ProQuest, January 24, 2012. Web. April 14, 2012. .14) Thomas Rhatigan, Joseph A. Trotter, Christopher Billeter, and Lenzing Lahdon. “Guidelines for Pandemic Emergency Preparedness Planning: A Road Map for Courts.” CDC.gov. Center for Disease Control, April 2007. Web. 12 April. 2012. .