PCViking
Lutefisk Survivor
Last edited:
01/30 | H5N1: The U. S. will boost domestic surveillance of wild birds
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PCViking
Lutefisk Survivor
US Watching Wild Birds for Spread of Bird Flu
WASHINGTON - The United States will boost domestic surveillance of wild birds in 2006 with several thousand expected to be tested in an effort to determine whether the deadly avian influenza virus has spread from Asia, government officials said on Friday.
There is some evidence that migratory birds are involved in spreading the H5N1 strain of avian influenza in Asia and Europe, but to what degree is uncertain, experts say.
Still, state agencies and the US Interior and Agriculture departments will target wild birds they believe offer the highest and earliest chance of detecting H5N1.
"We're going to increase surveillance of migratory birds because we know that is a potential pathway," said Ron DeHaven, head of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, during a congressional briefing on the disease.
"Should the virus become established in wild birds here in the United States it would not only pose a risk to wildlife ... but to poultry," he added.
The H5N1 virus has killed 83 people and forced more than 150 million birds worldwide to be destroyed. The latest bird flu strain emerged in Asia in 2003 and has spread to Europe, primarily infecting people who have come in close contact with sick birds.
While researchers and some government officials have downplayed the risk of the disease ever reaching the United States, there is a chance it could enter through migratory birds or birds smuggled into the country. People, equipment, poultry and wild birds are ways it could spread once it's here.
US testing of wild birds will be concentrated in Alaska -- with at least 46 sites testing as many as 200 birds each -- because of its close proximity with the Pacific Flyway to Asia. Additional tests, including on birds captured by hunters, will be conducted, officials said.
Dale Hall, director for the Fish and Wildlife Service, said "the sample number will be in the thousands," but he did not specify.
Each wild bird test costs between $35 and $80 with results taking a few days, according to the government. Commercial poultry is about $30-$35 because it is easier to get samples.
An estimated 1.5 million commercial birds are tested for avian influenza in the United States each year, many before they are exported, said DeHaven. He estimated the total could double or triple due to a voluntary program announced earlier this month by poultry producers to test most US chickens and chicken products for bird flu.
The enhanced testing program for wild birds would begin this spring. By then, bird flu experts say they could know if the disease has spread along traditional migratory pathways.
"One of the concerns I think is that we don't know very much, really, about how this particular strain is interacting in migratory birds," said Susan Haseltine, associate director with the Interior's US Geological Survey.
The Bush administration asked Congress last November for $91 million so the US Agriculture Department could step up its monitoring of wild birds, to buy more vaccine doses for poultry, and to coordinate bird flu efforts with other countries.
Story by Christopher Doering
Story Date: 30/1/2006
http://www.planetark.com/avantgo/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=34728
PCViking
Lutefisk Survivor
Saudi Arabia
RIYADH, 30 January 2006 — The National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD) has launched a Kingdomwide monitoring program to track down any further cases of infection by the H5N1 virus of the avian flu in the Kingdom. The move comes close on the heels of the discovery of five infected falcons.
“We will have the monitoring program in places where the local and migratory birds are found in large concentration,” Khaled Al-Humaidan, NCWCD’s director of public relations, told Arab News.
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=77054&d=30&m=1&y=2006
NCWCD Program
Mohammed RasooldeenRIYADH, 30 January 2006 — The National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD) has launched a Kingdomwide monitoring program to track down any further cases of infection by the H5N1 virus of the avian flu in the Kingdom. The move comes close on the heels of the discovery of five infected falcons.
“We will have the monitoring program in places where the local and migratory birds are found in large concentration,” Khaled Al-Humaidan, NCWCD’s director of public relations, told Arab News.
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=77054&d=30&m=1&y=2006
PCViking
Lutefisk Survivor
Threat of new kind of flu
01/30/2006
Worldwide, concerns are emerging over the risk of a pandemic from a new, potentially deadly strain of influenza that could pass from human to human, reportedly capable of infecting perhaps one out of every four people because humans have no immunization against it. The big question is whether an outbreak of such a devastating virus could be contained at the early stages, keeping it from spreading.
Reacting to appeals from the World Health Organization, the world's nations are turning their attention to this threat. Earlier this month, experts from 23 countries gathered in Tokyo for the inaugural conference on early-stage responses to such epidemics.
This is the first time that mankind has embarked on a quest to contain a new influenza virus outbreak worldwide.
In the past, there has been no way to stop such a virus from spreading. Nowadays, however, antiviral drugs offer the potential to fight threats of this type.
No one, of course, thinks this will be easy. At the Tokyo conference, participants confirmed the importance of coordinating joint countermeasures against the threat.
How do new flu strains develop? The avian influenza virus is believed to either mix with human viruses or mutate, thereby acquiring the capacity of infection by human-to-human contact.
The rising number of people infected with the avian influenza virus is a warning sign. This infection pattern is being seen in Southeast Asia and China, and also brought deaths in Turkey this month. European countries are increasingly issuing alerts that the menace is "at the front door," with some experts going so far as to warn that the fuse igniting an outbreak has already been lit.
The chances are high that a new strain of avian influenza will emerge somewhere in Asia, a region that offers widespread opportunities for bird and human interaction. In any containment policy, the key to success lies in early detection if and when such a deadly influenza strain should emerge.
Reports about new infections of the avian influenza virus have taken 17 days on average to reach WHO. This would be too late. According to Shigeru Omi, director of the WHO's Regional Office for the Western Pacific, the crucial period for containing a new virus lies in the first two to three weeks after it appears.
Once a new strain is pinpointed, WHO sends experts and treatment drugs to the local area. In one scenario envisioned by WHO, in the event that 20 persons are found infected in a given region, quarantine restrictions should be placed on human movements and gatherings within a 5-kilometer radius of the place where the infections are centered. Drugs should be administered. The theory is that if drugs are administered quickly to 90 percent of the area's population, the virus can likely be prevented from spreading to other regions.
In practice, however, there is no guarantee that such a prompt response will occur.
In some regions, residents will need to be appealed to directly to ensure they visit medical institutions or public health centers immediately after symptoms suspected of being an avian flu, or even a new strain are confirmed.
Information must not be withheld and must be disclosed immediately. Governments must also enact legal measures to curtail the public movement and activities of residents to prevent a further spread of infection.
Most important are prompt and effective responses, regardless of where a new flu strain is discovered. Each country must draft detailed procedures, closely adapted to local conditions, that detail actions to be taken from the moment an initial report is received to the launch of countermeasures.
Japan can assist by supplying drugs, addressing appeals to residents, training human resources and in other vital areas. We must create an effective framework of support measures.
--The Asahi Shimbun, Jan. 29(IHT/Asahi: January 30,2006)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200601300091.html
The Flying Dutchman
Deceased
=
<B><font size=+1 color=green><center>H5N1 Confirmed in Cyprus</font>
<A href="http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01290601/H5N1_Cyprus.html">Recombinomics Commentary</a>
January 29, 2006</center>
The European Commission said Sunday that tests conducted in a British laboratory on samples from birds in northern Cyprus had revealed they had died of the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus. </b>
The same strain has killed four people in Turkey and infected at least 21 others.
Two suspected bird flu cases were found in poultry in the Turkish Cypriot north of the island last week, leading authorities in the Greek Cypriot south _ part of the European Union _ to disinfect vehicles from the north and keep poultry indoors.
"No live animals or animal products, including all poultry products and feathers, can be transferred across the Green Line or to the European Union," the EU executive said, adding that two EU experts would leave for the area to investigate the situation.
The above comments suggests the lapses in H5N1 surveillance in Europe, the Middle east, and Africa have been and continue to be serious. H5N1 was first detected in western Turkey in October, 2005. Although there were significant poultry and wild bird die offs in eastern Turkey at the time, H5N1 involvement was denied. However, after the H5N1 human cases were confirmed in early 2006, new OIE reports were filed by Turkey which indicated H5N1 infections in Turkey had been detected in mid-November. More recent OIE reports indicated that there has been an explosion of H5N1 outbreaks in wild birds and domestic poultry in Turkey and these outbreaks have been widespread and included border provinces.
The OIE reports suggest H5N1 has been in Turkey since October and migration of birds through Turkey in the past several months would have spread H5N1 to adjacent countries in Europe and the Middle East and further migration would have moved H5N1 into Africa. However, none of these neighboring countries have filed OIE reports on H5N1 outbreaks.
Recent inspections by the EU, US, and WHO authorities in adjacent countries has raised the level of concern higher, The adjacent countries have conducted extensive culls in border regions, but have yet to acknowledge any H5N1 infections. New WHO regulations beginning in January 2006 allow neighboring countries to express concerns over unreported illness that can cross international borders, yet there are still no H5N1 in countries that clearly have H5N1 infections.
The lack of filing of reports of H5N1 in birds has also led to a lack of reports of H5N1 infections in humans. In Turkey, the first four suspected bird flu cases were initially said to be negative, yet the three fatal cases subsequently tested positive for H5N1. However, the fourth sibling is still not a confirmed case and has been excluded fro the WHO list of confirmed H5N1 cases.
This exclusion extends the WHO record on initial reports of H5N1 in humans in a country that had not previously reported infections. Each instance involves a familial cluster involving at least one fatality and at least one exclusion. In Cambodia the index case was excluded because samples were not collected. His sister subsequently developed symptoms and was diagnosed as H5N1 positive after she died in neighboring Vietnam. In Indonesia the index case was excluded because the two serum samples which were H5N1 positive were collected three days apart so the titer of the second collection was not four fold higher than the first. The sister was excluded because proper samples were not collected and only the father was classified as a confirmed case. In China the index case was also excluded because proper samples were not collected. Her brother survived and eventually tested positive for H5N1.
In Turkey, only the youngest sibling was excluded. The three older fatal cases were included, but the update describing the patients failed to include disease onset dates. In each of the prior clusters above, there was a gap between the index case and family members, but exclusion of the family members eliminated the cluster. In Turkey, the missing information on onset dates was followed by additional cases where associated data was glaringly absent. Two cousins of the index cases were H5N1 confirmed, but the update on the two cousins failed to give disease onset date and relationship to the earlier cases. Moreover, eight additional family members were hospitalized and the update did not reveal that information. When the third set of cousins was H5N1 confirmed, that update also failed to confirm the relationship with the earlier sets of cousins and the update indicated that additional family members did not show symptoms. However, 3 cousins were H5N1 and dead, while two more were H5N1 positive and hospitalized, while 9 others had been hospitalized.
Thus lack of transparency was extended when a bird flu suspect in Iraq died. WHO “discounted” the case, but reasons for the discount were not given. The physician in Iraq indicated the symptoms matched those of fatal cases in Turkey, and the fatal case had contact with domestic birds and lived near migratory birds. Now the uncle of the index case has also died with the same symptoms, suggesting he was infected by his niece. Now WHO is sending samples to Weybridge for testing and if confirmed, the prior requirements for a new H5N1 case in a new country would have been extended. One family member has been excluded by WHO, one or more has died, and the cluster represents the first reported cases.
Although the Z genotype of H5N1 has been reported in humans since earlier 2004, the same lack of reporting and testing has been repeated in Turkey and probably Iraq. Thus, the monitoring and reporting of H5N1 in birds and people remain scandalously poor.
<B><font size=+1 color=green><center>H5N1 Confirmed in Cyprus</font>
<A href="http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01290601/H5N1_Cyprus.html">Recombinomics Commentary</a>
January 29, 2006</center>
The European Commission said Sunday that tests conducted in a British laboratory on samples from birds in northern Cyprus had revealed they had died of the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus. </b>
The same strain has killed four people in Turkey and infected at least 21 others.
Two suspected bird flu cases were found in poultry in the Turkish Cypriot north of the island last week, leading authorities in the Greek Cypriot south _ part of the European Union _ to disinfect vehicles from the north and keep poultry indoors.
"No live animals or animal products, including all poultry products and feathers, can be transferred across the Green Line or to the European Union," the EU executive said, adding that two EU experts would leave for the area to investigate the situation.
The above comments suggests the lapses in H5N1 surveillance in Europe, the Middle east, and Africa have been and continue to be serious. H5N1 was first detected in western Turkey in October, 2005. Although there were significant poultry and wild bird die offs in eastern Turkey at the time, H5N1 involvement was denied. However, after the H5N1 human cases were confirmed in early 2006, new OIE reports were filed by Turkey which indicated H5N1 infections in Turkey had been detected in mid-November. More recent OIE reports indicated that there has been an explosion of H5N1 outbreaks in wild birds and domestic poultry in Turkey and these outbreaks have been widespread and included border provinces.
The OIE reports suggest H5N1 has been in Turkey since October and migration of birds through Turkey in the past several months would have spread H5N1 to adjacent countries in Europe and the Middle East and further migration would have moved H5N1 into Africa. However, none of these neighboring countries have filed OIE reports on H5N1 outbreaks.
Recent inspections by the EU, US, and WHO authorities in adjacent countries has raised the level of concern higher, The adjacent countries have conducted extensive culls in border regions, but have yet to acknowledge any H5N1 infections. New WHO regulations beginning in January 2006 allow neighboring countries to express concerns over unreported illness that can cross international borders, yet there are still no H5N1 in countries that clearly have H5N1 infections.
The lack of filing of reports of H5N1 in birds has also led to a lack of reports of H5N1 infections in humans. In Turkey, the first four suspected bird flu cases were initially said to be negative, yet the three fatal cases subsequently tested positive for H5N1. However, the fourth sibling is still not a confirmed case and has been excluded fro the WHO list of confirmed H5N1 cases.
This exclusion extends the WHO record on initial reports of H5N1 in humans in a country that had not previously reported infections. Each instance involves a familial cluster involving at least one fatality and at least one exclusion. In Cambodia the index case was excluded because samples were not collected. His sister subsequently developed symptoms and was diagnosed as H5N1 positive after she died in neighboring Vietnam. In Indonesia the index case was excluded because the two serum samples which were H5N1 positive were collected three days apart so the titer of the second collection was not four fold higher than the first. The sister was excluded because proper samples were not collected and only the father was classified as a confirmed case. In China the index case was also excluded because proper samples were not collected. Her brother survived and eventually tested positive for H5N1.
In Turkey, only the youngest sibling was excluded. The three older fatal cases were included, but the update describing the patients failed to include disease onset dates. In each of the prior clusters above, there was a gap between the index case and family members, but exclusion of the family members eliminated the cluster. In Turkey, the missing information on onset dates was followed by additional cases where associated data was glaringly absent. Two cousins of the index cases were H5N1 confirmed, but the update on the two cousins failed to give disease onset date and relationship to the earlier cases. Moreover, eight additional family members were hospitalized and the update did not reveal that information. When the third set of cousins was H5N1 confirmed, that update also failed to confirm the relationship with the earlier sets of cousins and the update indicated that additional family members did not show symptoms. However, 3 cousins were H5N1 and dead, while two more were H5N1 positive and hospitalized, while 9 others had been hospitalized.
Thus lack of transparency was extended when a bird flu suspect in Iraq died. WHO “discounted” the case, but reasons for the discount were not given. The physician in Iraq indicated the symptoms matched those of fatal cases in Turkey, and the fatal case had contact with domestic birds and lived near migratory birds. Now the uncle of the index case has also died with the same symptoms, suggesting he was infected by his niece. Now WHO is sending samples to Weybridge for testing and if confirmed, the prior requirements for a new H5N1 case in a new country would have been extended. One family member has been excluded by WHO, one or more has died, and the cluster represents the first reported cases.
Although the Z genotype of H5N1 has been reported in humans since earlier 2004, the same lack of reporting and testing has been repeated in Turkey and probably Iraq. Thus, the monitoring and reporting of H5N1 in birds and people remain scandalously poor.
Fuzzychick
Membership Revoked
Topusaret said:
Tops, not a vet, but if you like poultry and eggs stock up now, I said it a few days ago...don't think I'm wrong....
Jumpy Frog
Browncoat sympathizer
The United States will boost domestic surveillance of wild birds in 2006 
This Bush guy knows no limits does he! Now the NSA will be spying on poultry and fowl. That's not right.....just not right. Where's PETA when you need them?
This Bush guy knows no limits does he! Now the NSA will be spying on poultry and fowl. That's not right.....just not right. Where's PETA when you need them?
PCViking
Lutefisk Survivor
WSNC
Monday, January 30, 2006
By Bertrand M. Gutierrez
JOURNAL REPORTER
Mayor Allen Joines said that mayors from cities nationwide who attended a conference in Washington are getting sobering information about the threat of a bird-flu pandemic in the United States.
"It's not a question of if it's going to come, it's a question of when it will hit," he said.
And when it does, it could affect 15 percent to 35 percent the U.S. population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In Winston-Salem, that would mean that 28,544 to 66,604 people would be affected, according to the latest Census figures, which show the city with a population of 190,299.
Joines said he is concerned about providing services during a pandemic, which could affect 360 to 840 employees from the city's roster of 2,400. Joines said that although Forsyth County is responsible for providing health-care services, the city should also make preparations.
With as many as 840 employees sick with the bird flu, there would be a shortage of such essential workers as police officers, firefighters and garbage collectors.
"From a city government point of view, what we need to prepare for is what kind of things are needed when a third of the work force is out," Joines said.
With money from the federal government, cities and counties nationwide are making preparations for a possible bird-flu pandemic, as the virus has made the jump from animal to human.
"I think our world has become much more unpredictable, and there are a lot of things we have to worry about that we didn't used to have to worry about," Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-5th, said last week.
Mike Leavitt, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced two weeks ago that the Bush administration would provide $100 million for local and state governments to prepare for the pandemic. The money is part of a $350 million package in which each state is scheduled to get at least $500,000.
Of the $100 million, North Carolina is scheduled to get $2.5million, slightly more than the city of New York, which is to get $2.4 million.
A medium-level pandemic could cause 89,000 to 207,000 deaths nationwide and as many as 734,000 hospitalizations, with the economic effect ranging from $71.3 billion to $166.5 billion, according to the CDC.
Joines said that the business community should prepare, and he wants to meet with local business leaders to discuss a plan for containment. Some of the steps discussed at the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Washington are aimed at isolating the virus and preventing its spread.
For example, employees could be required to stay home if symptoms appear, social gatherings could be eliminated and home-based work could be promoted. Cross-training also could be an alternative, with firefighters filling in for police officers or vice-versa.
"I think the key is early detection," Joines said.
http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/S...1137833729882&path=!localnews&s=1037645509099
Monday, January 30, 2006
Mayor: Bird flu could hit city hard
He stresses preparedness, local plan for containment
He stresses preparedness, local plan for containment
By Bertrand M. Gutierrez
JOURNAL REPORTER
Mayor Allen Joines said that mayors from cities nationwide who attended a conference in Washington are getting sobering information about the threat of a bird-flu pandemic in the United States.
"It's not a question of if it's going to come, it's a question of when it will hit," he said.
And when it does, it could affect 15 percent to 35 percent the U.S. population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In Winston-Salem, that would mean that 28,544 to 66,604 people would be affected, according to the latest Census figures, which show the city with a population of 190,299.
Joines said he is concerned about providing services during a pandemic, which could affect 360 to 840 employees from the city's roster of 2,400. Joines said that although Forsyth County is responsible for providing health-care services, the city should also make preparations.
With as many as 840 employees sick with the bird flu, there would be a shortage of such essential workers as police officers, firefighters and garbage collectors.
"From a city government point of view, what we need to prepare for is what kind of things are needed when a third of the work force is out," Joines said.
With money from the federal government, cities and counties nationwide are making preparations for a possible bird-flu pandemic, as the virus has made the jump from animal to human.
"I think our world has become much more unpredictable, and there are a lot of things we have to worry about that we didn't used to have to worry about," Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-5th, said last week.
Mike Leavitt, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced two weeks ago that the Bush administration would provide $100 million for local and state governments to prepare for the pandemic. The money is part of a $350 million package in which each state is scheduled to get at least $500,000.
Of the $100 million, North Carolina is scheduled to get $2.5million, slightly more than the city of New York, which is to get $2.4 million.
A medium-level pandemic could cause 89,000 to 207,000 deaths nationwide and as many as 734,000 hospitalizations, with the economic effect ranging from $71.3 billion to $166.5 billion, according to the CDC.
Joines said that the business community should prepare, and he wants to meet with local business leaders to discuss a plan for containment. Some of the steps discussed at the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Washington are aimed at isolating the virus and preventing its spread.
For example, employees could be required to stay home if symptoms appear, social gatherings could be eliminated and home-based work could be promoted. Cross-training also could be an alternative, with firefighters filling in for police officers or vice-versa.
"I think the key is early detection," Joines said.
http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/S...1137833729882&path=!localnews&s=1037645509099
and then give it another dot because it's been outside of the MSM?
PCViking
Lutefisk Survivor
NY State
By CANDICE CHOI
The Associated Press
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A statewide emergency bird flu plan will be released in the coming weeks and preparations for a pandemic are already underway across New York state, according to state health officials.
As part of the state's ongoing planning for a health crisis, each of state's eight regional medical centers will be able to handle an influx of up to 500 patients by August.
The centers could make space by canceling elective surgeries, setting up makeshift treatment areas and coordinating with neighboring hospitals to handle any overflow, Deputy Health Commissioner Dennis Whalen said.
"It's very much a question of utilizing the existing infrastructure rather than inventing new systems," Whalen said.
A flu virus currently circulating among birds, the H5N1 virus, has ravaged poultry stocks in Asia since 2003 and recently spread to Europe through migratory birds. Health authorities fear the disease could mutate into a form that spreads from person-to-person, sparking a flu pandemic that could kill millions of people.
According to the World Health Organization, 83 people have died of the disease since 2003.
The mounting concerns have had health officials in New York stepping up emergency preparations.
In November, the state Health Department performed its first mass vaccination exercise by administering flu shots to 2,000 state employees over five hours. Similar trials are being carried out by county health departments as well, said Gus Birkhead, director of the Center for Community Health at the state Health Department.
Local health agencies are also identifying public spaces that could be used to house large gatherings of people who have fallen ill.
"We look at the Superdome as an example — people naturally went there when Hurricane Katrina happened. We want a plan that identifies those type of locations," Birkhead said.
New York state has been preparing for health emergencies linked to bioterrorism and SARS for several years, Whalen said. The bird flu is just another type of emergency the system must take into account, he said.
Hospitals would not only have to identify beds for a surge of patients in a flu crisis, but also figure out how to cover for sick staff, said Scott Heller, director of the regional resource center at Albany Medical Center.
"This is another phase of the ongoing planning we have to think about," Heller said.
Albany Medical Center is one of the eight regional resource centers in the state required to supply a surge capacity of 500 beds for every 1 million people in the case of an emergency.
The other regional resource centers are Erie County Medical Center, Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, University Hospital SUNY Health Science Center in Syracuse, CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh, Westchester Medical Center, North Shore Medical Center and Manhasset Stony Brook University Hospital.
A national report by the American College of Emergency Physicians last month found much of the nation was ill prepared for the bird flu. New York state received an overall C+ grade for its emergency care system, slightly higher than the C- rating given to the nation as a whole.
The state got low marks for its ratio of board-certified emergency room doctors to 100,000 people and emergency departments for every 1 million people.
http://www.silive.com/newsflash/metro/index.ssf?/base/news-16/1138390761111530.xml&storylist=simetro
Preparations underway in New York state for bird flu pandemic
1/27/2006, 6:27 p.m. ETBy CANDICE CHOI
The Associated Press
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A statewide emergency bird flu plan will be released in the coming weeks and preparations for a pandemic are already underway across New York state, according to state health officials.
As part of the state's ongoing planning for a health crisis, each of state's eight regional medical centers will be able to handle an influx of up to 500 patients by August.
The centers could make space by canceling elective surgeries, setting up makeshift treatment areas and coordinating with neighboring hospitals to handle any overflow, Deputy Health Commissioner Dennis Whalen said.
"It's very much a question of utilizing the existing infrastructure rather than inventing new systems," Whalen said.
A flu virus currently circulating among birds, the H5N1 virus, has ravaged poultry stocks in Asia since 2003 and recently spread to Europe through migratory birds. Health authorities fear the disease could mutate into a form that spreads from person-to-person, sparking a flu pandemic that could kill millions of people.
According to the World Health Organization, 83 people have died of the disease since 2003.
The mounting concerns have had health officials in New York stepping up emergency preparations.
In November, the state Health Department performed its first mass vaccination exercise by administering flu shots to 2,000 state employees over five hours. Similar trials are being carried out by county health departments as well, said Gus Birkhead, director of the Center for Community Health at the state Health Department.
Local health agencies are also identifying public spaces that could be used to house large gatherings of people who have fallen ill.
"We look at the Superdome as an example — people naturally went there when Hurricane Katrina happened. We want a plan that identifies those type of locations," Birkhead said.
New York state has been preparing for health emergencies linked to bioterrorism and SARS for several years, Whalen said. The bird flu is just another type of emergency the system must take into account, he said.
Hospitals would not only have to identify beds for a surge of patients in a flu crisis, but also figure out how to cover for sick staff, said Scott Heller, director of the regional resource center at Albany Medical Center.
"This is another phase of the ongoing planning we have to think about," Heller said.
Albany Medical Center is one of the eight regional resource centers in the state required to supply a surge capacity of 500 beds for every 1 million people in the case of an emergency.
The other regional resource centers are Erie County Medical Center, Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, University Hospital SUNY Health Science Center in Syracuse, CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh, Westchester Medical Center, North Shore Medical Center and Manhasset Stony Brook University Hospital.
A national report by the American College of Emergency Physicians last month found much of the nation was ill prepared for the bird flu. New York state received an overall C+ grade for its emergency care system, slightly higher than the C- rating given to the nation as a whole.
The state got low marks for its ratio of board-certified emergency room doctors to 100,000 people and emergency departments for every 1 million people.
http://www.silive.com/newsflash/metro/index.ssf?/base/news-16/1138390761111530.xml&storylist=simetro
PCViking
Lutefisk Survivor
Iraq, Kurdistan
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - A United Nations official and the health minister in Iraqi Kurdistan on Monday said a 15-year-old girl who died earlier this month in northern Iraq was a victim of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, the first known case of the disease in the country.
"Today we started a campaign to kill birds in three towns - Ranya, Dukan and Qaladaza. We formed committees to do so," said Kurdistan Health Minister Mohammed Khoshnow
The UN official, who refused to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, said testing on blood samples from the girl, who died Jan. 17, were done at the U.S. Navy Medical Research Unit in the Egyptian capital.
The official had been supervising the examination of samples sent by the regional government in northern Iraq. He said 30 other samples from northern Iraq were being tested.
The girl died in a Kurdish area near the border with Turkey and Iran after contracting a severe lung infection.
Her uncle, who lived in the same home, died Jan. 27.
The two lived near Ranya, which is just north of a reservoir that is a stopover for migratory birds from Turkey.
Turkey is battling an outbreak of the deadly virus. At least 21 there have contracted the virus, according to preliminary tests. Of those ill with the disease, four children died.
© The Canadian Press, 2006
http://www.mytelus.com/news/article.do?pageID=cp_health_home&articleID=2156672
Officials report that Iraqi girl who died in Kurdistan had bird flu
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - A United Nations official and the health minister in Iraqi Kurdistan on Monday said a 15-year-old girl who died earlier this month in northern Iraq was a victim of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, the first known case of the disease in the country.
"Today we started a campaign to kill birds in three towns - Ranya, Dukan and Qaladaza. We formed committees to do so," said Kurdistan Health Minister Mohammed Khoshnow
The UN official, who refused to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, said testing on blood samples from the girl, who died Jan. 17, were done at the U.S. Navy Medical Research Unit in the Egyptian capital.
The official had been supervising the examination of samples sent by the regional government in northern Iraq. He said 30 other samples from northern Iraq were being tested.
The girl died in a Kurdish area near the border with Turkey and Iran after contracting a severe lung infection.
Her uncle, who lived in the same home, died Jan. 27.
The two lived near Ranya, which is just north of a reservoir that is a stopover for migratory birds from Turkey.
Turkey is battling an outbreak of the deadly virus. At least 21 there have contracted the virus, according to preliminary tests. Of those ill with the disease, four children died.
© The Canadian Press, 2006
http://www.mytelus.com/news/article.do?pageID=cp_health_home&articleID=2156672
PCViking
Lutefisk Survivor
Bird flu death confirmed in Iraq
An Iraqi Kurdish teenage girl has died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, the Iraqi health minister says.
Abdel Mutalib Mohammed Ali said the diagnosis had been confirmed, despite initial reports from a WHO laboratory saying test results were negative.
Health officials are investigating the death of the girl's uncle who had also been suffering from flu-like symptoms.
Four people have been killed in neighbouring Turkey by the H5N1 strain of the virus.
The minister has gone to the northern city of Sulaimaniya to meet health officials to discuss efforts to stop the spread of the virus.
"We are calling on Iraqis not to panic or listen to rumours, but at the same to inform us if they suspect anything," Mr Ali told Iraqi television on Monday.
But he warned Iraqis "not to approach domestic birds and poultry as this is the main way of spreading the disease".
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/4661916.stm
Published: 2006/01/30 12:03:23 GMT
30 people in northern Iraq being tested for bird flu....
http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/ap/2006/01/30/ap2485617.html
By SALAH NASRAWI , 01.30.2006, 06:58 AM
A 15-year-old girl who died earlier this month in northern Iraq was a victim of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, the first known case of the disease in the country, a U.N. official and the region's health minister said Monday.
The U.S. Navy Medical Research Unit in the Egyptian capital conducted the tests determining the cause of death, using blood samples from the girl, the U.N. official said. He refused to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The official had been supervising the examination of samples sent by the government in northern Iraq. He said 30 other samples from northern Iraq were being tested.
The girl died Jan. 17 in a Kurdish area near the border with Turkey and Iran after contracting a severe lung infection. Her hometown of Ranya is just north of a reservoir that is a stopover for migratory birds from Turkey.
Her uncle, who lived in the same home, died Jan. 27.
"Today we started a campaign to kill birds in three towns - Ranya, Dukan and Qaladaza. We formed committees to do so," said Kurdistan Health Minister Mohammed Khoshnow.
Turkey is battling an outbreak of the deadly virus. At least 21 there have contracted the virus, according to preliminary tests. Of those ill with the disease, four children died.
Update 1: U.N.: Girl Who Died in Iraq Had Bird Flu
http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/ap/2006/01/30/ap2485617.html
By SALAH NASRAWI , 01.30.2006, 06:58 AM
A 15-year-old girl who died earlier this month in northern Iraq was a victim of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, the first known case of the disease in the country, a U.N. official and the region's health minister said Monday.
The U.S. Navy Medical Research Unit in the Egyptian capital conducted the tests determining the cause of death, using blood samples from the girl, the U.N. official said. He refused to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The official had been supervising the examination of samples sent by the government in northern Iraq. He said 30 other samples from northern Iraq were being tested.
The girl died Jan. 17 in a Kurdish area near the border with Turkey and Iran after contracting a severe lung infection. Her hometown of Ranya is just north of a reservoir that is a stopover for migratory birds from Turkey.
Her uncle, who lived in the same home, died Jan. 27.
"Today we started a campaign to kill birds in three towns - Ranya, Dukan and Qaladaza. We formed committees to do so," said Kurdistan Health Minister Mohammed Khoshnow.
Turkey is battling an outbreak of the deadly virus. At least 21 there have contracted the virus, according to preliminary tests. Of those ill with the disease, four children died.
The Flying Dutchman
Deceased
=
<B><font size=+1 color=red><center>Bird flu fears for Star reporter</font>
Jan. 30, 2006. 07:54 AM
OAKLAND ROSS
FEATURE WRITER
<A href="http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&&c=Article&&cid=1138575010110&&call_pageid=968332188492&&col=968793972154&&t=TS_Home">www.thestar.com</a></center>
"Have you touched any chickens?" asks the chief of infectious diseases, speaking in halting but serviceable English.
You tell him you have not come into direct physical contact with poultry of any kind.
On the other hand, there was that incident with the shovel.</b>
"Shovel ... ?" asks the doctor.
Yes. Five days earlier, your car got stuck in the deep snow that now enshrouds the wintry highlands of eastern Turkey.
Ever resourceful, you retrieved a home-made shovel from a local family's chicken run. A dozen birds scurried from your path. You used the shovel to dig out the car.
Maybe the shovel had somehow been contaminated with the virus that causes avian flu.
Or maybe you contracted the bug in the remote Turkish city of Dogubayazit, where you travelled only a day or so later to talk to a Kurdish man who had recently lost three of his children to the deadly, bird-borne disease.
Most likely, however, you do not have avian flu at all.
But you do have the flu.
You first noticed the symptoms while flying to Istanbul, after spending several days in the far reaches of eastern Turkey, where you ventured to write about the lethal outbreak of avian flu that struck this land of 72 million souls early this month.
Medical experts worry that the avian virus — known officially as H5N1 — could mix with human versions to produce a new strain capable of passing directly between people. Such an outcome could trigger an influenza pandemic that could claim millions of lives. At least 20 people in Turkey contracted the disease, and four children died — all after coming into contact with dead or diseased domestic fowl.
At first, you ignored your own condition, a standard grab-bag of flu-like complaints — sore muscles, aching head, persistent cough, and a worrisome shortness of breath. Then you started to wonder — why should you be impervious to avian flu?
So you took a taxi to the Okmeydani Teaching Hospital, a sprawling, 1,000-bed facility in the Sisli district of central Istanbul. What you wanted was a blood test.
What you get is 24 hours as quite likely the only Canadian to be officially registered as a suspected case of avian flu during the recent Turkish outbreak.
"We will keep you here for two days at least," says Dr. Taner Yildirmak, director of the infectious-diseases clinic at Okmeydani. "For observation."
You are duly subjected to a battery of tests, including a chest X-ray and an electrocardiogram, before being escorted to a Spartan but clean private room. A nurse enters and withdraws an impressive quantity of your blood.
Later you are summoned to a telephone at the end of a corridor. A consular official at the Canadian Embassy is on the line from Ankara, the capital. She has been informed by Turkish authorities of your status as a suspected case of avian flu and offers her assistance.
Back in your room, you become uneasy. How are you going to pay for this? Does the Okmeydani Hospital take Visa?
A female doctor stops by. She speaks a little English, and you put the question to her. Cash or plastic?
"Not cash," she informs you. "Not credit card. You are not permitted to pay."
It's a matter of government policy. To help ensure that cases of avian flu are detected early and treated promptly, authorities have waived all the usual medical fees for people suspected of having the virus.
Dinner comes early on a tin tray. It isn't bad — a cream soup, a stew of chickpeas and an unidentified species of meat, with rice and bread.
At 9:30, you switch off the lights and begin a long, fitful night.
A little after 6 a.m., a man comes by with a streamlined breakfast — a dozen black olives, a small hunk of cheese, a bread roll, and hot tea in a plastic cup.
Presently, Yildirmak appears with student doctors in tow. He informs you that you do not seem to be seriously ill, but the outcome of the avian-flu test won't be known for at least another day.
Meanwhile, you are booked to fly back to Canada this very night, on a plane departing from Tel Aviv. You would like to go.
The doctor says he'll think about it. A couple of hours pass, and a nurse shows up. She takes you to Yildirmak's office. He says you may leave the hospital as long as you sign a waiver, relieving the institution of responsibility for your decision. You agree.
Twenty-four hours later, your plane touches down in Toronto.
During the ensuing days, your flu gets a lot worse. Then it gets better.
Was it H5N1 or just a nasty human bug? The truth is, you still don't know for sure.
<B><font size=+1 color=red><center>Bird flu fears for Star reporter</font>
Jan. 30, 2006. 07:54 AM
OAKLAND ROSS
FEATURE WRITER
<A href="http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&&c=Article&&cid=1138575010110&&call_pageid=968332188492&&col=968793972154&&t=TS_Home">www.thestar.com</a></center>
"Have you touched any chickens?" asks the chief of infectious diseases, speaking in halting but serviceable English.
You tell him you have not come into direct physical contact with poultry of any kind.
On the other hand, there was that incident with the shovel.</b>
"Shovel ... ?" asks the doctor.
Yes. Five days earlier, your car got stuck in the deep snow that now enshrouds the wintry highlands of eastern Turkey.
Ever resourceful, you retrieved a home-made shovel from a local family's chicken run. A dozen birds scurried from your path. You used the shovel to dig out the car.
Maybe the shovel had somehow been contaminated with the virus that causes avian flu.
Or maybe you contracted the bug in the remote Turkish city of Dogubayazit, where you travelled only a day or so later to talk to a Kurdish man who had recently lost three of his children to the deadly, bird-borne disease.
Most likely, however, you do not have avian flu at all.
But you do have the flu.
You first noticed the symptoms while flying to Istanbul, after spending several days in the far reaches of eastern Turkey, where you ventured to write about the lethal outbreak of avian flu that struck this land of 72 million souls early this month.
Medical experts worry that the avian virus — known officially as H5N1 — could mix with human versions to produce a new strain capable of passing directly between people. Such an outcome could trigger an influenza pandemic that could claim millions of lives. At least 20 people in Turkey contracted the disease, and four children died — all after coming into contact with dead or diseased domestic fowl.
At first, you ignored your own condition, a standard grab-bag of flu-like complaints — sore muscles, aching head, persistent cough, and a worrisome shortness of breath. Then you started to wonder — why should you be impervious to avian flu?
So you took a taxi to the Okmeydani Teaching Hospital, a sprawling, 1,000-bed facility in the Sisli district of central Istanbul. What you wanted was a blood test.
What you get is 24 hours as quite likely the only Canadian to be officially registered as a suspected case of avian flu during the recent Turkish outbreak.
"We will keep you here for two days at least," says Dr. Taner Yildirmak, director of the infectious-diseases clinic at Okmeydani. "For observation."
You are duly subjected to a battery of tests, including a chest X-ray and an electrocardiogram, before being escorted to a Spartan but clean private room. A nurse enters and withdraws an impressive quantity of your blood.
Later you are summoned to a telephone at the end of a corridor. A consular official at the Canadian Embassy is on the line from Ankara, the capital. She has been informed by Turkish authorities of your status as a suspected case of avian flu and offers her assistance.
Back in your room, you become uneasy. How are you going to pay for this? Does the Okmeydani Hospital take Visa?
A female doctor stops by. She speaks a little English, and you put the question to her. Cash or plastic?
"Not cash," she informs you. "Not credit card. You are not permitted to pay."
It's a matter of government policy. To help ensure that cases of avian flu are detected early and treated promptly, authorities have waived all the usual medical fees for people suspected of having the virus.
Dinner comes early on a tin tray. It isn't bad — a cream soup, a stew of chickpeas and an unidentified species of meat, with rice and bread.
At 9:30, you switch off the lights and begin a long, fitful night.
A little after 6 a.m., a man comes by with a streamlined breakfast — a dozen black olives, a small hunk of cheese, a bread roll, and hot tea in a plastic cup.
Presently, Yildirmak appears with student doctors in tow. He informs you that you do not seem to be seriously ill, but the outcome of the avian-flu test won't be known for at least another day.
Meanwhile, you are booked to fly back to Canada this very night, on a plane departing from Tel Aviv. You would like to go.
The doctor says he'll think about it. A couple of hours pass, and a nurse shows up. She takes you to Yildirmak's office. He says you may leave the hospital as long as you sign a waiver, relieving the institution of responsibility for your decision. You agree.
Twenty-four hours later, your plane touches down in Toronto.
During the ensuing days, your flu gets a lot worse. Then it gets better.
Was it H5N1 or just a nasty human bug? The truth is, you still don't know for sure.
The Flying Dutchman
Deceased
=
<B><font size=+0 color=brown><center>BIRD FLU: ECONOMY COULD TAKE A BATTERING</font>
30 January 2006
<A href="http://www.iomonline.co.im/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=870&ArticleID=1332112">www.iomonline.co.im</a></center>
A BIRD flu pandemic could kill at least 80 people in the first three months of its arrival in the Island, a public health consultant has revealed.
Dr Parameswaran Kishore said it is a matter of when and not if the pandemic begins. It has also been revealed schools could close, public gatherings – like nights at the theatre –could be banned and the economy could be battered.</b>
As the World Health Organisation estimates pandemic bird flu is likely to arrive in two or three years, detailed contingency planning is taking place and Dr Kishore said the Island tops the list of most prepared countries, with Norway.
Dr Kishore said in the first wave of bird flu, likely to last three months, 20,000 will probably catch the flu, there are likely to be 4,000 extra GP appointments made as a result and 120 hospitalisations.
Around a third of the workforce could be affected, either through suffering the illness or caring for someone who is.
To help prevent the spread of the virus, schools could be closed – meaning many working parents could be forced to stay at home.
Dr Kishore and emergency planning officer Martin Blackburn urged businesses and individuals to come up with contingency plans in readiness.
The government has a pandemic flu co-ordinating group with many sub-committees looking into how the Island will cope with the pandemic.
Chief Minister Donald Gelling said he has complete confidence we are prepared as possible.
<B><font size=+0 color=brown><center>BIRD FLU: ECONOMY COULD TAKE A BATTERING</font>
30 January 2006
<A href="http://www.iomonline.co.im/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=870&ArticleID=1332112">www.iomonline.co.im</a></center>
A BIRD flu pandemic could kill at least 80 people in the first three months of its arrival in the Island, a public health consultant has revealed.
Dr Parameswaran Kishore said it is a matter of when and not if the pandemic begins. It has also been revealed schools could close, public gatherings – like nights at the theatre –could be banned and the economy could be battered.</b>
As the World Health Organisation estimates pandemic bird flu is likely to arrive in two or three years, detailed contingency planning is taking place and Dr Kishore said the Island tops the list of most prepared countries, with Norway.
Dr Kishore said in the first wave of bird flu, likely to last three months, 20,000 will probably catch the flu, there are likely to be 4,000 extra GP appointments made as a result and 120 hospitalisations.
Around a third of the workforce could be affected, either through suffering the illness or caring for someone who is.
To help prevent the spread of the virus, schools could be closed – meaning many working parents could be forced to stay at home.
Dr Kishore and emergency planning officer Martin Blackburn urged businesses and individuals to come up with contingency plans in readiness.
The government has a pandemic flu co-ordinating group with many sub-committees looking into how the Island will cope with the pandemic.
Chief Minister Donald Gelling said he has complete confidence we are prepared as possible.
I was thinking the same thing when I read this headline. I sure hope he followed FISA and got a warrant!Jumpy Frog said:The United States will boost domestic surveillance of wild birds in 2006
This Bush guy knows no limits does he! Now the NSA will be spying on poultry and fowl. That's not right.....just not right. Where's PETA when you need them?
PCViking
Lutefisk Survivor
Avian Flu Talk Launches New Discussion Forum
Avian Flu Talk hosts forum for discussions relating to H5N1 bird flu virus.
(PRWEB via PR Web Direct) January 30, 2006 -- Avian Flu Talk recently announced that it had launched a discussion forum dedicated to discussing issues relating to the H5N1 bird flu virus. Over the last 90 days, this new forum has rapidly grown to be one of the most active forums in the world. The new forum appears to be capturing the public’s attention as people continue to join this community in waves.
“Perhaps the forum is appealing to so many around the world because of the overall caring nature being displayed among the members,” said Ryan Evans, founder of the forum. “The people on this forum also seem to be taking a united stance against the growing pandemic threat, which is also attracting people to the site.”
The new website recently added new informative forums that are designed to help educate the public on pandemic preparedness. “The addition of these new forums will provide a great service to the world,” said Evans, who attributed these latest enhancements to the forum Moderator.
In addition, this forum is a great news source to receive all of the latest information and developments regarding the bird flu as its members share news articles from around the world.
View the forum at www.Avianflutalk.com .
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/1/prweb339588.htm
PCViking
Lutefisk Survivor
CHRONOLOGY-Bird flu developments
29 Jan 2006 14:55:58 GMTSource: Reuters
Jan 29 (Reuters) - European Union authorities have confirmed the presence of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu in a sample taken from poultry from northern Cyprus, the European Commission said on Sunday.
Here is a short chronology of events since bird flu re-emerged in late 2003.
Dec 15, 2003 - South Korea confirms a highly contagious type of bird flu at a chicken farm near Seoul and begins a mass cull of poultry when the virus rapidly spreads across the country.
Jan 8, 2004 - Vietnam says bird flu found on poultry farms.
Sept 27 - Thailand says it has found a case where one human probably infected another with bird flu. It said this was an isolated incident posing little risk to the population.
Oct 10, 2005 - The European Commission announces a ban on imports of live birds and feathers from Turkey to the EU in response to Turkey reporting its first case of bird flu two days earlier. It was later confirmed as the type dangerous to humans, the H5N1 strain.
Oct 15 - British tests identify H5N1 in three ducks found dead in Ceamurlia de Jos in Romania, the first case of H5N1 in mainland Europe.
Nov 11 - Kuwait reports the first known case of deadly bird flu in the Gulf Arab region, saying a culled flamingo was carrying the H5N1 strain.
Dec 3 - Ukraine tackles its first outbreak of bird flu in poultry, sending troops to patrol exclusion zones in the Crimea peninsula where the virus was detected.
Jan 17, 2006 - Turkey says another child has tested positive for the virus, bringing the number of human cases to 21 over the past two weeks, including four children who have died.
Jan 18 - International donors pledge $1.9 billion to combat the spread of bird flu at the end of a conference in Beijing.
Jan 25 - WHO confirms another death from bird flu in China, taking the overall toll to 83. These comprise 14 in Indonesia, seven in China, four in Cambodia, 14 in Thailand, 42 in Vietnam and two in Turkey. The WHO is awaiting the results of tests on cases reported in Turkey before updating its figures.
Jan 29 - H5N1 is confirmed in sample taken from poultry in northern Cyprus in the latest sign of the spread westwards of the disease to the edges of Europe.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L29759030.htm
PCViking
Lutefisk Survivor
If more people were hip to how TPTB intend to house and treat the sick, there might be more concern?
Posts 11 & 12
"We look at the Superdome as an example — people naturally went there when Hurricane Katrina happened. We want a plan that identifies those type of locations," Birkhead said.
http://www.silive.com/newsflash/metr...rylist=simetro
___________________________________________
By Megan Rauscher
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new survey shows that Americans fear car accidents, terror attacks, hurricanes and other natural disasters more than they fear bird flu.
The national survey of 1,000 Americans was conducted between January 24 and January 25 by marketing and communications research company HCD Research, based in Flemington, New Jersey, in response to recent reports that bird flu may enter the U.S.
"What was really clear from the survey was that with all the talk about bird flu, the more mundane things like hurricanes and car accidents seem to be more on people's minds than the less likely things like bird flu," Glenn R. Kessler, managing partner of HCD Research, told Reuters Health.
While more than half of respondents (59 percent) think that it is likely that bird flu will reach American soil, less than half (44 percent) are concerned that bird flu will affect them personally or their families.
Americans appear to be "really rational" when it comes to bird flu, Kessler said. "If you look at the top two fears -- car accidents (#1) and natural disasters (#2) -- these are events that actually happen; the rest are speculative," he added.
Number three on the list of fears is terrorist attacks employing a dirty or nuclear bomb, followed by bioterrorism, such as the release of smallpox or anthrax, bird flu and airline accidents.
According to the survey, Americans are split regarding their confidence in the federal government's ability to handle a bird flu outbreak in the U.S., with 36 percent indicating that they are confident, 37 percent indicating they are not confident, and the rest being undecided.
"I think now people have a lot of reticence about government response to disasters," Kessler said, perhaps owing to the Hurricane Katrina debacle.
Dr. Arthur Kover, a sociologist and consulting director at HCD Research added in a statement: "Clearly, the federal government must make its case that it is prepared to effectively handle any bird flu epidemic."
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsA..._COL065909_RTRUKOC_0_US-BIRDFLU-AMERICANS.xml
Posts 11 & 12
"We look at the Superdome as an example — people naturally went there when Hurricane Katrina happened. We want a plan that identifies those type of locations," Birkhead said.
http://www.silive.com/newsflash/metr...rylist=simetro
___________________________________________
Bird flu not a top concern of Americans: survey
Mon Jan 30, 2006 1:19 PM ETBy Megan Rauscher
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new survey shows that Americans fear car accidents, terror attacks, hurricanes and other natural disasters more than they fear bird flu.
The national survey of 1,000 Americans was conducted between January 24 and January 25 by marketing and communications research company HCD Research, based in Flemington, New Jersey, in response to recent reports that bird flu may enter the U.S.
"What was really clear from the survey was that with all the talk about bird flu, the more mundane things like hurricanes and car accidents seem to be more on people's minds than the less likely things like bird flu," Glenn R. Kessler, managing partner of HCD Research, told Reuters Health.
While more than half of respondents (59 percent) think that it is likely that bird flu will reach American soil, less than half (44 percent) are concerned that bird flu will affect them personally or their families.
Americans appear to be "really rational" when it comes to bird flu, Kessler said. "If you look at the top two fears -- car accidents (#1) and natural disasters (#2) -- these are events that actually happen; the rest are speculative," he added.
Number three on the list of fears is terrorist attacks employing a dirty or nuclear bomb, followed by bioterrorism, such as the release of smallpox or anthrax, bird flu and airline accidents.
According to the survey, Americans are split regarding their confidence in the federal government's ability to handle a bird flu outbreak in the U.S., with 36 percent indicating that they are confident, 37 percent indicating they are not confident, and the rest being undecided.
"I think now people have a lot of reticence about government response to disasters," Kessler said, perhaps owing to the Hurricane Katrina debacle.
Dr. Arthur Kover, a sociologist and consulting director at HCD Research added in a statement: "Clearly, the federal government must make its case that it is prepared to effectively handle any bird flu epidemic."
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsA..._COL065909_RTRUKOC_0_US-BIRDFLU-AMERICANS.xml