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Indiana: State, county planning for a pandemic
Morgan County health department to have two meetings about avian flu
By Hannah Lodge | hlodge@reportert.com
Saturday July 8, 2006
MOORESVILLE
Indiana is bracing itself for a potential avian influenza pandemic that the World Health Organization estimates could cause between 2 and 7.4 million deaths worldwide.
State Health Commissioner Judith Monroe has asked Indiana counties and communities to hold outreach and educational meetings regarding bird flu, according to Leonard Huffman, public health preparedness coordinator with the Morgan County Health Department. Huffman said Morgan County will hold its first bird flu meeting Thursday.
Public leaders and elected officials have been invited to attend, but anyone is welcome to go to the information session, which will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at St. Francis Hospital in Mooresville. A similar meeting will also take place at 7 p.m. July 27 in the Morgan County Administration Building in Martinsville.
Eric Deckers, spokesperson for the Indiana State Department of Health, said the department is encouraging these meetings so that communities have a plan in place for dealing with bird flu if a pandemic, or global disease outbreak, occurs.
?We are expecting some sort of pan-flu, because historically we get three in a century, and we?re overdue for one. Of all the flues out there, avian flu is the most likely,? he said. ?We all agree it?s a matter of when, not if, it?s going to happen. That?s why we?re encouraging preparedness: because this literally will affect everybody.?
Huffman said the central purpose of the meeting is to present the public with facts.
Mooresville
WHAT: Mooresville avian influenza educational meeting
WHEN: 7 p.m., Thursday
How it?s spread to humans: Although the Center for Disease Control recommends using precautions when handling raw poultry and eggs to protect against any infection, there is no evidence that avian influenza can be contracted from handling or ingesting properly-cooked infected poultry or eggs. Most cases are contracted as a result of direct contact with the infected poultry or contact with areas contaminated by excretions.
Symptoms: Human symptoms range from typical flu-like symptoms, such as sore throat, fever, muscle aches and cough, to more severe complications, such as eye infections, pneumonia and acute respiratory distress.
Treatment: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of amantadine, rimantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir, four anti-viral drugs, to treat influenza. Certain strains of the virus may be resistant to the drugs, however.
About avian influenza:
How to prepare: Eric Deckers, spokesperson for the Indiana State Department of Health, said the department recommends individuals have at least two weeks worth of food and medical supplies on hand. At bare minimum, 72 hours worth of food and medical supplies are essential, he said.
Source: Center for Disease Control, www.cdc.gov .
WHERE: The Swisher Conference Room in St. Francis Hospital. The hospital is at 1201 Hadley Road, Mooresville.
WHO CAN ATTEND: The meeting is open to the public.
Martinsville
WHAT: Martinsville avian influenza educational meeting
WHEN: 7 p.m. July 27
WHERE: Morgan County Administration Building, Martinsville
WHO CAN ATTEND: The meeting is open to the public.
?We want to make sure the public understands two things: There?s no need to panic, and our food supply is safe,? he said. ?And a lot of people seem concerned on both those points.?
Huffman said the meeting will include slide presentations, a discussion panel that will answer audience questions, and a presentation from Pamela Pontones, director of surveillance and investigation of the epidemiology resource center at the Indiana State Department of Health.
According to the World Health Organization, avian influenza refers to a large group of influenza viruses that affect birds. One particular strain of avian influenza, however - H5N1 - has the potential to adapt into a strain that is contagious among humans. Should a pandemic occur, WHO estimates anywhere from 2 to 7.4 million deaths world-wide as a result, based on a comparatively mild pandemic in 1957, although the rate could be much higher, according to http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/pandemic10things/en/index.html . To date, there have been 229 cases of avian influenza in humans reported worldwide and 131 resulting deaths, according to a release issued on July 4 by WHO.
Deckers said for now, the most important thing is getting prepared.
?Basically what we?re waiting to happen is for the virus to mutate to something that is easily transmissible from person to person,? he said. ?We don?t know when that?s going to happen, but everyone basically needs to be prepared as soon as they can so when it does, everyone?s got that mechanism in place.?
Indiana: State, county planning for a pandemic
Morgan County health department to have two meetings about avian flu
By Hannah Lodge | hlodge@reportert.com
Saturday July 8, 2006
MOORESVILLE
Indiana is bracing itself for a potential avian influenza pandemic that the World Health Organization estimates could cause between 2 and 7.4 million deaths worldwide.
State Health Commissioner Judith Monroe has asked Indiana counties and communities to hold outreach and educational meetings regarding bird flu, according to Leonard Huffman, public health preparedness coordinator with the Morgan County Health Department. Huffman said Morgan County will hold its first bird flu meeting Thursday.
Public leaders and elected officials have been invited to attend, but anyone is welcome to go to the information session, which will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at St. Francis Hospital in Mooresville. A similar meeting will also take place at 7 p.m. July 27 in the Morgan County Administration Building in Martinsville.
Eric Deckers, spokesperson for the Indiana State Department of Health, said the department is encouraging these meetings so that communities have a plan in place for dealing with bird flu if a pandemic, or global disease outbreak, occurs.
?We are expecting some sort of pan-flu, because historically we get three in a century, and we?re overdue for one. Of all the flues out there, avian flu is the most likely,? he said. ?We all agree it?s a matter of when, not if, it?s going to happen. That?s why we?re encouraging preparedness: because this literally will affect everybody.?
Huffman said the central purpose of the meeting is to present the public with facts.
Mooresville
WHAT: Mooresville avian influenza educational meeting
WHEN: 7 p.m., Thursday
How it?s spread to humans: Although the Center for Disease Control recommends using precautions when handling raw poultry and eggs to protect against any infection, there is no evidence that avian influenza can be contracted from handling or ingesting properly-cooked infected poultry or eggs. Most cases are contracted as a result of direct contact with the infected poultry or contact with areas contaminated by excretions.
Symptoms: Human symptoms range from typical flu-like symptoms, such as sore throat, fever, muscle aches and cough, to more severe complications, such as eye infections, pneumonia and acute respiratory distress.
Treatment: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of amantadine, rimantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir, four anti-viral drugs, to treat influenza. Certain strains of the virus may be resistant to the drugs, however.
About avian influenza:
How to prepare: Eric Deckers, spokesperson for the Indiana State Department of Health, said the department recommends individuals have at least two weeks worth of food and medical supplies on hand. At bare minimum, 72 hours worth of food and medical supplies are essential, he said.
Source: Center for Disease Control, www.cdc.gov .
WHERE: The Swisher Conference Room in St. Francis Hospital. The hospital is at 1201 Hadley Road, Mooresville.
WHO CAN ATTEND: The meeting is open to the public.
Martinsville
WHAT: Martinsville avian influenza educational meeting
WHEN: 7 p.m. July 27
WHERE: Morgan County Administration Building, Martinsville
WHO CAN ATTEND: The meeting is open to the public.
?We want to make sure the public understands two things: There?s no need to panic, and our food supply is safe,? he said. ?And a lot of people seem concerned on both those points.?
Huffman said the meeting will include slide presentations, a discussion panel that will answer audience questions, and a presentation from Pamela Pontones, director of surveillance and investigation of the epidemiology resource center at the Indiana State Department of Health.
According to the World Health Organization, avian influenza refers to a large group of influenza viruses that affect birds. One particular strain of avian influenza, however - H5N1 - has the potential to adapt into a strain that is contagious among humans. Should a pandemic occur, WHO estimates anywhere from 2 to 7.4 million deaths world-wide as a result, based on a comparatively mild pandemic in 1957, although the rate could be much higher, according to http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/pandemic10things/en/index.html . To date, there have been 229 cases of avian influenza in humans reported worldwide and 131 resulting deaths, according to a release issued on July 4 by WHO.
Deckers said for now, the most important thing is getting prepared.
?Basically what we?re waiting to happen is for the virus to mutate to something that is easily transmissible from person to person,? he said. ?We don?t know when that?s going to happen, but everyone basically needs to be prepared as soon as they can so when it does, everyone?s got that mechanism in place.?
