Joining the dots on the emergence of pandemic influenza.

Extensive research in the last 20 years has unveiled some of the factors associated with the emergence of pandemic influenza A viruses. Nonetheless, numerous extrinsic and virological factors are yet to be fully understood, especially with reference to their interconnection and interdependence. Knowledge gathered so far has motivated the scientific community to embrace the One Health-One Flu concept and to explore new scientific approaches in the field of influenza infections in order to make educated decisions when it comes to pandemic preparedness. As a result of this awareness, risk assessment methodology is currently being explored as a new tool to estimate the pandemic potential of influenza viruses circulating in animals, underlining the urgency for interdisciplinary collaboration and the need to share updated and high quality scientific and surveillance data.