South Dakota - Pandemic Preparedness

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SEARCH FOR BIRD FLU TO BEGIN THIS MONTH
July 14, 2006 (Kota Territory News)
From Johanna Sailor, SD Public Broadcasting

Sioux Falls, S.D. -- The search for bird flu in South Dakota will start later this month when the Game, Fish and Parks Department starts testing waterfowl.
State Veterinarian Sam Holland says the H-Five-N-One bird flu virus poses a serious risk to the state's poultry industry. It hasn't been found in North America, but there's suspicion that birds migrating from Asia could spread it here.

Health officials also worry that it could mutate enough to be transmitted human to human.

State waterfowl biologist Spencer Vaa says the goal is to collect and test about one-thousand wild birds like ducks and swans over the next six months to see if any have the virus.

Source: www.kotatv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5152844&nav=menu411_2

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South Dakota - Search for bird flu in waterfowl

WATERFOWL WATCHED FOR AVIAN FLU SIGNS
August 22, 2006 (Associated Press)

Pierre, S.D. -- This year's banding of waterfowl has added significance as researchers use that opportunity to check birds for bird flu.

In South Dakota, about 1,000 waterfowl and shore birds that migrate through the state will be checked for the disease.

The research is part of a surveillance plan that stretches across all four of the nation's waterfowl flyways.

Banding crews are currently capturing birds, collecting samples for flu testing at South Dakota State University and then releasing the birds.

The flu sampling effort will continue until the middle of next month.

Sampling of ducks shot by hunters will also be done this fall.

Source: www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeennews/news/15333477.htm

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South Dakota - Pandemic Preparedness

COUNTY & CITY PANDEMIC FLU PLANS
September 5, 2006 (Keloland Television)

One of the largest grants in South Dakota was given to Minnehaha County and the city of Sioux Falls. The grant money is being used educate the public and create a plan to keep important services running during a pandemic. Lynn DeYoung, director of Minnehaha County Emergency Management says, "Counties don't do extra things. It's all critical type, needed functions to protect and serve the citizens. So it's important that we plan so we can keep those services going."

Services like emergency medical systems, courts, public utilities, law enforcement, schools, even collecting taxes are all included in county pandemic plans. Officials are also looking at how a pandemic would affect your daily life. DeYoung explains, "We might ask people not to go to church on a Sunday afternoon in an affected area or not go out to the mall for a couple of days. That's to help prevent the spread of a pandemic."

Because such a spread of disease would have such a big impact on day-to-day life, getting information to the public is a key part of any pandemic response. Sandy Frentz with the Sioux Falls Health Department says, "When there's education people know what's happening in their communities. I think they're more accepting, what are the possibilities around them and I think it gives them some piece of mind."

That's why the Sioux Falls Health Department and Minnehaha County are hosting a community pandemic planning session later this week. Sioux Falls community leaders representing, everything from businesses to churches, have been invited to attend. Frentz says, "We need to get the individuals prepared. This is a community response; this will be a community plan to get through this whole event. So we need everybody on board with it."

The planning session is scheduled for this Thursday at the Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center.

More on the planning session

Source: www.keloland.com/Healthbeat/NewsDetail6387.cfm?Id=0,50756