AlaskaDenise
In Memoriam
This is part of an article in the Nome, Alaska "Nugget"
The audience may be the first Americans to see bird flu from migrating birds.
http://nomenugget.net/20060413/local.html
Kawerak Conference casts light on many issues
By Diana Haecker
Last week's Kawerak Regional Conference wrapped up after a busy three-day schedule of intense presentations, hands-on workshops and lots of visiting in between.......
The program ranged from hands-on, how-to workshops such as drum building, beading, skin sewing and butchering seals, to presentations held by experts on important issues such as global warming and avian flu. The spiritual aspect of the conference was not spelled out in words on any agenda, but permeated talks on a variety of issues.....
Another big area of concern addressed at the conference was the avian influenza. Deb Rocque from the US Fish and Wildlife Service held the presentation and informed the audience about the hot topic. She stressed that at this point, it is a bird's disease, mostly prevalent in waterfowl; that there are no cases in Alaska or the United States and that the flu virus has not yet mutated to jump from human to human. (???)
"Yearly, there are 36,000 deaths from the regular flu in the US," Rocque said. "So why the concern, if it's just a bird disease?" She explained that the bird flu virus is highly unstable and can change rapidly. "However," she said, "Common sense, soap, water and cleanliness can stop this virus."
The human deaths from the virus have resulted from direct contact with infected domestic birds.
Alaska having the highest proportion of migratory birds puts the state on the map for a potential first landfall of the virus to the North American continent. In response, USFWS in cooperation with UAF, ADF&G, and other entities such as Kawerak are planning on sampling live migratory birds in the spring, summer and fall. "We'll be conducting subsistence sampling in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, the North Slope, the Seward Peninsula and St. Lawrence Island," said Rocque.
She added that subsistence hunters are asked to bring in hunted birds for swabbing. The hunters should practice safe dressing of the birds. "What hunters should know has little to do with avian flu but common sense," she said. "Don't handle sick or dead animals; wash your hands, wear rubber gloves, don't eat or smoke while dressing the bird and use hand sanitizers," she said.
Cooking birds and eggs at 165?F will kill the virus, if it should be prevalent in the bird.
At this point, scientists don't know if migratory birds can spread the virus. Questions from the audience poured in. How does it affect berry picking? "Bird poop on berries is a valid concern," Rocque said. "I would not pick such berries, and it's always good to wash them. If cooked for jam or pie, again, there is no danger because cooking kills the virus."
How about the eggs? "I hate to tell you this, but you need to cook them," said Rocque.
What is the plan if the sampling reveals the avian flu in migratory birds in Alaska? "We're still planning on the plan," said Rocque. She finished her talk with the grim outlook that in case of a flu outbreak, it could affect 200,000 people in Alaska. "If a flu pandemic happens, we can hospitalize 2,000 to 22,000 in Alaska. As of right now, we know that we cannot hospitalize all 200,000 who may need hospitalization," Rocque said. "I encourage you to inquire in your community if there is a community plan on the local level that assures that there are alternative sites to take care of sick people in the event of a pandemic." .....
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I don't like the tone of this article......."you'll be okay if you use common sense and soap."
So when they start falling sick, will they blame the victims first and not the virus?
Remember these people have relatives who came from villages that were nearly wiped out in 1918.
The audience may be the first Americans to see bird flu from migrating birds.
http://nomenugget.net/20060413/local.html
Kawerak Conference casts light on many issues
By Diana Haecker
Last week's Kawerak Regional Conference wrapped up after a busy three-day schedule of intense presentations, hands-on workshops and lots of visiting in between.......
The program ranged from hands-on, how-to workshops such as drum building, beading, skin sewing and butchering seals, to presentations held by experts on important issues such as global warming and avian flu. The spiritual aspect of the conference was not spelled out in words on any agenda, but permeated talks on a variety of issues.....
Another big area of concern addressed at the conference was the avian influenza. Deb Rocque from the US Fish and Wildlife Service held the presentation and informed the audience about the hot topic. She stressed that at this point, it is a bird's disease, mostly prevalent in waterfowl; that there are no cases in Alaska or the United States and that the flu virus has not yet mutated to jump from human to human. (???)
"Yearly, there are 36,000 deaths from the regular flu in the US," Rocque said. "So why the concern, if it's just a bird disease?" She explained that the bird flu virus is highly unstable and can change rapidly. "However," she said, "Common sense, soap, water and cleanliness can stop this virus."
The human deaths from the virus have resulted from direct contact with infected domestic birds.
Alaska having the highest proportion of migratory birds puts the state on the map for a potential first landfall of the virus to the North American continent. In response, USFWS in cooperation with UAF, ADF&G, and other entities such as Kawerak are planning on sampling live migratory birds in the spring, summer and fall. "We'll be conducting subsistence sampling in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, the North Slope, the Seward Peninsula and St. Lawrence Island," said Rocque.
She added that subsistence hunters are asked to bring in hunted birds for swabbing. The hunters should practice safe dressing of the birds. "What hunters should know has little to do with avian flu but common sense," she said. "Don't handle sick or dead animals; wash your hands, wear rubber gloves, don't eat or smoke while dressing the bird and use hand sanitizers," she said.
Cooking birds and eggs at 165?F will kill the virus, if it should be prevalent in the bird.
At this point, scientists don't know if migratory birds can spread the virus. Questions from the audience poured in. How does it affect berry picking? "Bird poop on berries is a valid concern," Rocque said. "I would not pick such berries, and it's always good to wash them. If cooked for jam or pie, again, there is no danger because cooking kills the virus."
How about the eggs? "I hate to tell you this, but you need to cook them," said Rocque.
What is the plan if the sampling reveals the avian flu in migratory birds in Alaska? "We're still planning on the plan," said Rocque. She finished her talk with the grim outlook that in case of a flu outbreak, it could affect 200,000 people in Alaska. "If a flu pandemic happens, we can hospitalize 2,000 to 22,000 in Alaska. As of right now, we know that we cannot hospitalize all 200,000 who may need hospitalization," Rocque said. "I encourage you to inquire in your community if there is a community plan on the local level that assures that there are alternative sites to take care of sick people in the event of a pandemic." .....
-------------------------------------------------
I don't like the tone of this article......."you'll be okay if you use common sense and soap."
So when they start falling sick, will they blame the victims first and not the virus?
Remember these people have relatives who came from villages that were nearly wiped out in 1918.