Up to 75,000 people in Britain will die as influenza or a similar disease sweeps the world in an "inevitable" pandemic, according to a Lords Committee

Disease pandemic 'inevitable' in Britain warns House of Lords
Article in the Telegraph

Extract:

"Changes in lifestyle are leading to new infections and providing them with opportunities to spread rapidly, the report warns.

An outbreak in Britain will cause "massive" disruption, it concludes. More should be done to provide early warnings.

The Lords intergovernmental organisations committee says the "dysfunctional" World Health Organisation needs to be better organised to cope with the threat. The peers describe the Government's evidence to it as "sobering".

They were told by ministers: "While there has not been a pandemic since 1968, another one is inevitable.

"Estimates are that the next pandemic will kill between two million and 50 million people worldwide and between 50,000 and 75,000 in the UK. Socio-economic disruption will be massive." The committee says that with three quarters of newly emerging human infections originating from animals, more stringent ways of detecting diseases are needed.

Lord Soley, the chairman of the committee, said: "The last 100 years have seen great advances in public health and disease control through the world, but globalisation and changes in lifestyles are giving rise to new infections and providing opportunities for them to spread rapidly."

You can strengthen your immunity to infections by reducing your intake of salt and salty food.