An avian flu pandemic is likely to have an impact on life insurance

According to a recent analysis conducted by the Insurance Information Institute (III), a flu pandemic similar to that of the years 1957 and 1968 – of moderate scale - is likely to have a significant impact on the life insurance business with losses up to 31 billion USD. The hypothesis of an acute pandemic similar to that of 1918 would trigger losses estimated at 133 billion USD.

For the United States alone, the number of victims would reach 209 000 in case of a moderate pandemic, and 1.9 million casualties in case of a severe pandemic.