Pandemic flu could strike U.S. at any time, hitting the poor the hardest: NewsTarget.com

The threat of pandemic flu hitting the United States exists, and experts say the hardest hit will be the least wealthy members of society.

The last pandemic flu was in 1918, killing some 50 million to 100 million people worldwide -- between 2.5 and 5 percent of the human population -- during the course of 18 months. The flu was a close relative to today's H5N1 bird flu.

Andrew Pavia, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Utah, warned of a pandemic flu to congressional staffers on Tuesday as part of a briefing.

"There will be a flu pandemic, and it will be a disaster and kill many people," he said.

Pavia posited that the flu would make one-third of the U.S. population sick and kill 2 million Americans.

The heaviest affected would be the less financially wealthy, who often lack the resources to pay to fight diseases. More than 46 million Americans lack health insurance, which affects their ability to see health service providers due to prohibitive health care costs.

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Pandemic flu could strike at any time, hitting the poor the hardest

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