TheFluMaster
Resident
AJ, county prepare for pandemic flu, Flu preparation campaign goes county-wide
By Hazel Lodevico, Independent Newspaper
Published: Aug 28, 2006 - 07:39:29 pm EDT
Although a pandemic flu has not hit the United States since 1918, county and Apache Junction city officials aim to educate the public on how they can prepare for a widespread influenza episode.
In the wake of the 1918 Spanish Flu, 675,000 Americans and millions of people worldwide died from the illness.
According to Pinal County Director of Public Health Thomas Schryer, a pandemic flu outbreak has been a concern for some time among health officials around the world, citing the avian bird flu as a potential source for the next flu pandemic.
While avian flu is only transmissible between birds, a mutation can occur that can allow humans to catch the disease, Mr. Schryer said.
According to Mr. Schryer, the effects of a pandemic flu can be devastating. Offices can shut down with up to 40 percent of employees falling ill to the sickness and entire cities can collapse, Mr. Schryer said.
?We need to make sure our police departments, our fire departments, our schools and our hospitals can continue to operate through an episode,? Mr. Schryer said.
Pandemic flu is difficult to predict and while there is no existing case of pandemic flu outbreak at this time, Mr. Schryer said Pinal County and health departments across the country are making pandemic flu preparedness a top priority.
?We don?t know when we?ll see the next pandemic flu outbreak,? Mr. Schryer said. ?But now is the best time to prepare for it rather than later.?
Pinal County officials and Apache Junction have initiated a community outreach campaign to educate residents on the steps to prepare themselves against the devastating effects of a pandemic flu.
Pinal County Division of Public Health officials have made presentations to various community groups such as Chambers of Commerce, Lions clubs and Kiwanis clubs. They have also distributed booklets to county residents outlining steps and materials the public should know before an outbreak occurs.
These include identifying family members? medical history gathering a list of emergency contacts and putting together a survival kit.
Items for the survival kit include non-perishable food, bottled water, flashlights and batteries.
Pat Brenner, Apache Junction community outreach director, said booklets are available to residents at various locations including the Apache Junction Police Department, 1001 N. Idaho Road, Animal Control, 725 Baseline Ave., the Multi-Generational Center, 1035 N. Idaho Road, and the Apache Junction Public Library, 1177 N. Idaho Road.
Mr. Brenner said he has also met with Fire District officials in identifying supplies the city may need, such as extra fuel, and medical emergency supplies.
With limited medical resources in Pinal County, Mr. Schryer said county officials are looking into medical capacity issues and, in a worst case scenario, what to do with a massive number of bodies.
?Preparing for a pandemic flu can prepare us for anything,? Mr. Schryer said. ?This includes any other disease outbreak or a even a natural disaster.?
For more locations of Pinal County?s ?Explaining Pandemic Influenza? report, call (480) /474-5080. To schedule a preparation on pandemic flu preparation, call the Pinal County Division of Public Health 1 (520) 866-7301.
Post comments on this issue at www.newszapforums.com/forum7. News Editor Hazel Lodevico can be reached at (480) 982-7799 or hlodevico@newszap.com.
http://www.newszap.com/articles/2006/08/29/az/east_valley/aj04.txt
By Hazel Lodevico, Independent Newspaper
Published: Aug 28, 2006 - 07:39:29 pm EDT
Although a pandemic flu has not hit the United States since 1918, county and Apache Junction city officials aim to educate the public on how they can prepare for a widespread influenza episode.
In the wake of the 1918 Spanish Flu, 675,000 Americans and millions of people worldwide died from the illness.
According to Pinal County Director of Public Health Thomas Schryer, a pandemic flu outbreak has been a concern for some time among health officials around the world, citing the avian bird flu as a potential source for the next flu pandemic.
While avian flu is only transmissible between birds, a mutation can occur that can allow humans to catch the disease, Mr. Schryer said.
According to Mr. Schryer, the effects of a pandemic flu can be devastating. Offices can shut down with up to 40 percent of employees falling ill to the sickness and entire cities can collapse, Mr. Schryer said.
?We need to make sure our police departments, our fire departments, our schools and our hospitals can continue to operate through an episode,? Mr. Schryer said.
Pandemic flu is difficult to predict and while there is no existing case of pandemic flu outbreak at this time, Mr. Schryer said Pinal County and health departments across the country are making pandemic flu preparedness a top priority.
?We don?t know when we?ll see the next pandemic flu outbreak,? Mr. Schryer said. ?But now is the best time to prepare for it rather than later.?
Pinal County officials and Apache Junction have initiated a community outreach campaign to educate residents on the steps to prepare themselves against the devastating effects of a pandemic flu.
Pinal County Division of Public Health officials have made presentations to various community groups such as Chambers of Commerce, Lions clubs and Kiwanis clubs. They have also distributed booklets to county residents outlining steps and materials the public should know before an outbreak occurs.
These include identifying family members? medical history gathering a list of emergency contacts and putting together a survival kit.
Items for the survival kit include non-perishable food, bottled water, flashlights and batteries.
Pat Brenner, Apache Junction community outreach director, said booklets are available to residents at various locations including the Apache Junction Police Department, 1001 N. Idaho Road, Animal Control, 725 Baseline Ave., the Multi-Generational Center, 1035 N. Idaho Road, and the Apache Junction Public Library, 1177 N. Idaho Road.
Mr. Brenner said he has also met with Fire District officials in identifying supplies the city may need, such as extra fuel, and medical emergency supplies.
With limited medical resources in Pinal County, Mr. Schryer said county officials are looking into medical capacity issues and, in a worst case scenario, what to do with a massive number of bodies.
?Preparing for a pandemic flu can prepare us for anything,? Mr. Schryer said. ?This includes any other disease outbreak or a even a natural disaster.?
For more locations of Pinal County?s ?Explaining Pandemic Influenza? report, call (480) /474-5080. To schedule a preparation on pandemic flu preparation, call the Pinal County Division of Public Health 1 (520) 866-7301.
Post comments on this issue at www.newszapforums.com/forum7. News Editor Hazel Lodevico can be reached at (480) 982-7799 or hlodevico@newszap.com.
http://www.newszap.com/articles/2006/08/29/az/east_valley/aj04.txt