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State of Indiana prepares for avian flu conference
By Brent Forgues
Managing Editor
The threat of bird flu reaching the United States has manifested into a conference on Thursday at Purdue to prepare the state in the event of a pandemic, said the executive director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
As bird flu continues to move westward, Eric Dietz, former director of Purdue's Homeland Security Institute, said he expects about 600 people to attend the summit preparing Indiana's government, businesses, agricultural industries and schools about what measures to take in case of an outbreak.
"I think the one thing we can be sure of is that it's out there, it's moving and it's eventually going to be here whether we like it or not," he said. "The threat is real."
Although bird flu is the genesis of and urgency behind the conference, Dietz said the planning will also be generalized to bioterrorism, because most disease pandemics would affect everyone.
"At the time (of a pandemic), we're going to need all of our responders and at least 1/3 of them will be sick," he said. "Depending on the mortality, we could lose a significant proportion of our public as well."
By hosting the symposium at Purdue, Dietz said Gov. Mitch Daniels hopes to take advantage of the academic aspects it offers.
Daniels announced last month that Indiana has formed statewide and county-level emergency plans to deal with a possible pandemic. Under certain worst-case scenarios, affected people could be quarantined.
The stakes are high not only from a human and animal health standpoint, but also economically: Indiana has one of the largest poultry industries in the U.S., producing around 100 million chickens, turkeys and ducks a year.
Indiana's poultry farms, which have had tough biological security rules in place for years, are being even more vigilant about such things as restricting visitors, decontaminating shoes and disinfecting equipment.
At Rose Acre Farms in Seymour, one of Indiana's largest egg producers with about 9 million chickens, 24-hour surveillance was installed to ensure unauthorized people don't get in and that security measures are being carried out, said executive vice president Tony Wesner.
"Avian flu is a concern to anybody in the poultry business," Wesner said. "We educate ourselves daily to be ready if it does hit."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
State of Indiana prepares for avian flu conference
By Brent Forgues
Managing Editor
The threat of bird flu reaching the United States has manifested into a conference on Thursday at Purdue to prepare the state in the event of a pandemic, said the executive director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
As bird flu continues to move westward, Eric Dietz, former director of Purdue's Homeland Security Institute, said he expects about 600 people to attend the summit preparing Indiana's government, businesses, agricultural industries and schools about what measures to take in case of an outbreak.
"I think the one thing we can be sure of is that it's out there, it's moving and it's eventually going to be here whether we like it or not," he said. "The threat is real."
Although bird flu is the genesis of and urgency behind the conference, Dietz said the planning will also be generalized to bioterrorism, because most disease pandemics would affect everyone.
"At the time (of a pandemic), we're going to need all of our responders and at least 1/3 of them will be sick," he said. "Depending on the mortality, we could lose a significant proportion of our public as well."
By hosting the symposium at Purdue, Dietz said Gov. Mitch Daniels hopes to take advantage of the academic aspects it offers.
Daniels announced last month that Indiana has formed statewide and county-level emergency plans to deal with a possible pandemic. Under certain worst-case scenarios, affected people could be quarantined.
The stakes are high not only from a human and animal health standpoint, but also economically: Indiana has one of the largest poultry industries in the U.S., producing around 100 million chickens, turkeys and ducks a year.
Indiana's poultry farms, which have had tough biological security rules in place for years, are being even more vigilant about such things as restricting visitors, decontaminating shoes and disinfecting equipment.
At Rose Acre Farms in Seymour, one of Indiana's largest egg producers with about 9 million chickens, 24-hour surveillance was installed to ensure unauthorized people don't get in and that security measures are being carried out, said executive vice president Tony Wesner.
"Avian flu is a concern to anybody in the poultry business," Wesner said. "We educate ourselves daily to be ready if it does hit."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.