The 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic: what have we learned in the past 6 months.

The present review describes how the first influenza pandemic of the XXI century occurred, the characteristics of the virus that produced it, its epidemiology, clinical and pathological presentation, and the treatment and prevention methods that have been instituted. The lessons that have been learned in the first 6 months of the pandemic include: 1) predictions were not fulfilled (it was not an avian virus but a swine virus that caused the pandemic, it started in the American continent not in Asia), 2) international cooperation was critical, 3) mass media played a key role communicating to the public and health care professionals about this evolving, and 4) preparedness plans were very important to confront the pandemic.