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Tuna, powdered milk can go long way if bird flu hits
By Jon Brodkin/ Daily News Staff
Saturday, March 18, 2006
MetroWest Daily (Boston)
Worried about bird flu? Buy some tuna and powdered milk.
That was the message from U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt this month, when he urged families to stock up on nonperishable food in case of a flu pandemic.
"When you go to the store and buy three cans of tuna fish, buy a fourth and put it under the bed," Leavitt said. "When you go to the store to buy some milk, pick up a box of powdered milk, put it under the bed."
Leavitt recommended keeping a couple weeks of food supplies on hand, as well as first-aid kits.
It's a reasonable suggestion, a local infectious disease expert said.
"It's not just to do with avian flu, but in case there was a very severe storm," said Dr. Leonard Marcus, a Newton physician who specializes in travelers' health and tropical medicine. "It's a good idea to be prepared for at least a two-week period, have bottled water and canned food and so forth."
Emergency supplies should not include food that needs refrigeration, in case electricity goes out, Marcus said.
Leavitt made his recommendations as officials in the U.S. and around the globe prepare for a potential flu pandemic that could be triggered by a deadly influenza strain affecting birds in many countries.
The recommendation is an improvement over the government's response to some other potential dangers, Marcus said, recalling the government's advice to "wrap your house in duct tape so you won't get exposed to anthrax."
"The government has had some idiot decisions," he said.
Health officials worry the bird flu virus may become capable of rapid transmission among humans, but so far only a couple of hundred people have been affected worldwide, said Dr. Thomas Treadwell, director of MetroWest Medical Center's infectious disease clinic.
"The bird flu for all intents and purposes is not yet a human disease. It's affected less than a couple hundred people," Treadwell said. "Compare that to the deaths due to malaria, tuberculosis and HIV infection, and it's not even a blip."
Even if this bird flu virus doesn't trigger a global outbreak, health experts say a pandemic is inevitable, though it's impossible to say exactly when.
"We're going to have a pandemic sooner or later because we're overdue," said Dr. Michael Lew, chief of infectious disease at Newton-Wellesley Hospital.
A pandemic could cause food shortages in supermarkets, because high absentee rates due to sickness could disrupt manufacturing and supply lines, he said.
Lew said it's "not my place" to make supply recommendations, but thinks the government's advice to stockpile some nonperishable food might be a good idea.
"It might be wise to have a couple weeks worth of nonperishable food items and water stored away," he said.
People should not stockpile antiviral medications like Tamiflu, however, Lew said. First of all, the drug could pass the expiration date before it is needed and there is no guarantee a pandemic flu strain will be sensitive to the medication.
The drugs should be centralized and distributed to those who need it most. Having people stock up on medication themselves is a "really bad public health measure" that "ties up the world supply of Tamiflu where it's least needed," Lew said.
(Associated Press material was used in this report. Jon Brodkin can be reached at 508-626-4424 or jbrodkin@cnc.com)
By Jon Brodkin/ Daily News Staff
Saturday, March 18, 2006
MetroWest Daily (Boston)
Worried about bird flu? Buy some tuna and powdered milk.
That was the message from U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt this month, when he urged families to stock up on nonperishable food in case of a flu pandemic.
"When you go to the store and buy three cans of tuna fish, buy a fourth and put it under the bed," Leavitt said. "When you go to the store to buy some milk, pick up a box of powdered milk, put it under the bed."
Leavitt recommended keeping a couple weeks of food supplies on hand, as well as first-aid kits.
It's a reasonable suggestion, a local infectious disease expert said.
"It's not just to do with avian flu, but in case there was a very severe storm," said Dr. Leonard Marcus, a Newton physician who specializes in travelers' health and tropical medicine. "It's a good idea to be prepared for at least a two-week period, have bottled water and canned food and so forth."
Emergency supplies should not include food that needs refrigeration, in case electricity goes out, Marcus said.
Leavitt made his recommendations as officials in the U.S. and around the globe prepare for a potential flu pandemic that could be triggered by a deadly influenza strain affecting birds in many countries.
The recommendation is an improvement over the government's response to some other potential dangers, Marcus said, recalling the government's advice to "wrap your house in duct tape so you won't get exposed to anthrax."
"The government has had some idiot decisions," he said.
Health officials worry the bird flu virus may become capable of rapid transmission among humans, but so far only a couple of hundred people have been affected worldwide, said Dr. Thomas Treadwell, director of MetroWest Medical Center's infectious disease clinic.
"The bird flu for all intents and purposes is not yet a human disease. It's affected less than a couple hundred people," Treadwell said. "Compare that to the deaths due to malaria, tuberculosis and HIV infection, and it's not even a blip."
Even if this bird flu virus doesn't trigger a global outbreak, health experts say a pandemic is inevitable, though it's impossible to say exactly when.
"We're going to have a pandemic sooner or later because we're overdue," said Dr. Michael Lew, chief of infectious disease at Newton-Wellesley Hospital.
A pandemic could cause food shortages in supermarkets, because high absentee rates due to sickness could disrupt manufacturing and supply lines, he said.
Lew said it's "not my place" to make supply recommendations, but thinks the government's advice to stockpile some nonperishable food might be a good idea.
"It might be wise to have a couple weeks worth of nonperishable food items and water stored away," he said.
People should not stockpile antiviral medications like Tamiflu, however, Lew said. First of all, the drug could pass the expiration date before it is needed and there is no guarantee a pandemic flu strain will be sensitive to the medication.
The drugs should be centralized and distributed to those who need it most. Having people stock up on medication themselves is a "really bad public health measure" that "ties up the world supply of Tamiflu where it's least needed," Lew said.
(Associated Press material was used in this report. Jon Brodkin can be reached at 508-626-4424 or jbrodkin@cnc.com)
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