Arthur Reingold, M.D., will speak at the Hillview Center of the Stanford Blood Center, 3373 Hillview Ave., Palo Alto, about an infectious disease that started spreading last spring.

The presentation will be from 7 to 9 p.m.

H1N1 influenza virus appeared in Mexico and Southern California in since has spread worldwide, causing a pandemic that is expected to worsen during the coming winter in the northern hemisphere, according to Michele Hyndman of the blood center.

Dr. Reingold will provide an update on the clinical and epidemiological features of the pandemic and discuss alternatives for prevention and control. He has devoted the last 25 years to the study and prevention of infectious diseases in the U.S. and in developing countries throughout the world.

Cafe Scientifique is an international network of informal groups that brings scientific debate into local communities.