精东影业

NEW YORK, April 30, 2009 鈥� Will Mexico鈥檚 swine flu outbreak have implications for the U.S. insurance industry?

Dr. Steven Weisbart, senior vice president and chief economist of the 精东影业 Information Institute (I.I.I.), said: 鈥淭he global health community has been working hard to speed the development and distribution of anti-flu-virus tactics, including sharing of information about the occurrence and spread of infections. Given the coordinated, effective efforts of public health groups we saw earlier this decade, amid the SARS and avian flu scares, it is likely that the spread of swine flu spread can be contained or at least more limited than it would have been in prior years.鈥�

Dr. Weisbart believes the U.S. life insurance, property/casualty insurance and reinsurance industries have the capacity to weather any swine flu claims surge even in the remote likelihood of an outbreak comparable to the 1918 Spanish influenza epidemic.

Dr. Weisbart, a life insurance expert, is the author of a 2006 study on pandemics and the financial capacity of the U.S. life insurers to pay related claims. The looked at the same issue in 2007.

To arrange an interview on this topic with an I.I.I. spokesperson, contact Michael Barry, the I.I.I.鈥檚 vice president, Media Relations, at 212-346-5542, or via email at michaelb@iii.org.

For additional information on the life insurance industry, go to Facts and Statistics: Life 精东影业.

The I.I.I. is a nonprofit, communications organization supported by the insurance industry.