ABAO, Angelica Camille

Flu Movie

I. SUMMARY

"The Flu," a 2013 South Korean disaster film written and directed by King Sung-su, is about the
spread of a deadly virus and it was identified to be a mutated form of a particular avian flu, a strain
identified in the film as H5N1 throughout the Bundang district, which has a population of approximately
500,000. The film's primary characters are Jang Hyuk and Soo Ae.

In the first scene, a group of illegal immigrants is smuggled into a cargo container with the intention
of arriving in South Korea. An immigrant inside the container seemed to be suffering from some sort of
illness. To release the immigrants, Byung-Ki (Lee Hee-Joon) and Byung-Woo (Lee Sang-Yeob) drive to the
cargo container. Except for one guy, they quickly realize that all of the immigrants have died. Following
that, thousands of people appear to be infected with a virus that kills within 36 hours of infection.

The government shut down the city due to an increase in the number of persons affected by the
airborne virus, in order to prevent any additional breakouts from spreading to the rest of Korea, and
worse, the rest of the world. As a result, the government has quarantined the whole community of
Bundang in an attempt to stop the virus from spreading further. Firefighter Kang Ji-Koo (Jang Hyuk) is
one of those who has been quarantined. Dr. Kim In Hae (Soo-Ae) was one of the first to respond to the
virus's breakout. When In-hae, the female doctor, learned that her daughter, Mi-reu, had been sick as
well, she became even more determined to develop a vaccine. Smuggling her daughter to the non-
infected zone was also dangerous.

When Monssai, a Filipino with an antibody, was killed on their journey to Seoul, the film became a
little gloomy. However, shortly before they were caught, In-hae injected Mi-reu with a vaccine. Mi-reu is
now a probable antibody carrier as a result of this. But she was on the point of being burned to death,
and if it hadn't been for Ji-koo, the final hope for treating the virus would have died with her.

The government, on the other hand, would not risk trusting In-hae that Mi-reu was the solution to
their dilemma. When In-hae saw her daughter and Ji-koo were approaching Seoul's gates, she bolted,
vowing to her daughter that she would be there when Mi-reu needed her. At the conclusion of the film,
Mi-reu successfully enters Seoul.

II. Chain of Infection from the movie “FLU”

A. Reservoirs/Carriers:

The disease mutated to an extremely virulent strain after containment in a cargo container of sickly
immigrants being smuggled in to the country. Since the disease killed the majority of humans it came
into contact, the primary reservoirs, or organism capable of carrying and spreading the disease and
surviving, were rats and birds. However, one example of a human reservoir in the film was the character
Monssai.
 B. Portals of exit:

Droplets from coughing or sneezing caused infected particles from bodily mucosal membranes to be
dispersed in to the surrounding environment.

C. Modes of transmission:

The H5N1 virus itself was transmitted indirectly as an air-born pathogen.

D. Portals of entry:

The virus could enter through any portal of entry. For example, the mouth, eyes, and nose.

E. Factors in host susceptibility:

People who have a weak immune system. For example, elderly persons (65 and up), adults, youths, and
children under the age of five. Also, unvaccinated individuals.