flunami
n. An overwhelming number of flu cases in the same area at the same time.
Also Seen As
flu-nami
Etymology
flu + tsunami
Examples
2011
"A colleague of mine and some others around here are starting to call this whole problem a flunami, which it probably is, based on the numbers of cases we're seeing," said James Downey, an infection control officer at Toronto East General Hospital.
—Caroline Alphonso, “Hospitals overwhelmed by surge of flu cases,” The Globe and Mail, January 13, 2011
2009
The H1N1 flunami crested in Lincoln late last month, according to Friday's weekly report.
—Mark Andersen, “Flu activity declining in Lincoln after peak,” Lincoln Journal Star, November 07, 2009
2006 (earliest)
How ready are the world health & science organizations for the theatened avian flunami being threatened right now? Also,couldn't the conventional influenza virus mutate into a form which can't be cured right away?How ready are these folks for flunamis?
—Amboy Road, “Are world governments ready for a flunami?,” SciFlicks, January 04, 2006
Posted: January 14, 2011