The outbreaks of infectious diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Avian Human Influenza (AHI), and Influenza A (H1N1) pose serious health risks for workers in various occupations in many sectors and may have dramatic impact on business communities and governments in terms of job losses, closures of businesses and strains on public health systems. Within its mandate, the ILO carries out specific activities to address important issues arising out of these outbreaks in relation to the world of work.
