A Summary of
Emergency Response Plans for Avian Influenza/Pandemic Influenza
Michigan Departments of
Agriculture, Community Health and Natural Resources
and USDA Wildlife Services
2-14-06
Michigan governmental agencies, federal, university, and industry partners are working
together to prevent, prepare, and if necessary, respond, and recover from a novel
influenza outbreak having the potential to affect humans and/or animals. The
surveillance and management roles and responsibilities of each agency have been
identified for a unified approach that considers humans, domestic animals, and wildlife.
Recently, these partners assembled the Michigan Inter Agency Avian Influenza Work
Group to ensure that these efforts were managed with an interdepartmental perspective.
The State of Michigan, Department of Community Health has had a Pandemic Influenza
Plan in place since 2002. The 2005 version is now part of the All Hazards Response
Plan, created in 2004 and finalized in 2005.
The Pandemic Influenza Plan has been available to Local Health Department planning
and emergency preparedness partners on the Health Alert Network (or “HAN”)—a
statewide disease alert system for health care providers and public health leaders. The
latest version of the Pandemic Flu plan was posted on the HAN in early January, 2006.
We continue to update our plans as new information and resources become available.
And we carry out regular preparedness exercises and revise our plans as needed based on
the results of those exercises.
The State has also made pandemic influenza information available to the public though
the website:
www.mdch.gov/influenza and to local public health and health care partners
through the Health Alert Network.
Michigan has among the finest public health and animal diagnostic laboratories in the
country. The labs continually diagnose illnesses by utilizing the latest techniques to
detect microbes.
The State’s ongoing preparedness efforts related to chemical and biological threats have
no doubt contributed to preparedness for the emergence of new diseases transmitted from
animals to humans. The following information briefly explains each department’s role in
avian influenza pandemic flu planning.
STATE PLANS
The Michigan Department of Community Health, All Hazards Response Plan, developed
and maintained as required by Act 390, PA of 1976 and as referenced in the Michigan
Emergency Management Plan, is approved and current. MDCH staff and contractors
follow the systems, assignments, protocols, and procedures contained in the plan when
responding to disasters, emergencies or providing supplemental relief assistance in
support of local governments and agencies.
The Michigan Emergency Avian Disease Manual was developed through consultation,
coordination, and agreement with Michigan’s poultry industry (Michigan Allied Poultry
Industries, Inc.), the State Veterinarian’s Office of the Michigan Department of
Agriculture, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) Area Veterinarian-In-Charge (AVIC) and Michigan
State University (MSU). In the event of an emergency avian disease, implementation of
all or part of this plan will be made at the discretion of the State Veterinarian’s or
USDA/APHIS AVIC Office with consultation and coordination with Michigan’s poultry
industry. This manual also serves as a guide to prevent the spread of infectious avian
diseases as well as to assist in the development of appropriate biosecurity plans in order
to prevent such an occurrence.
The DNR Avian Influenza Response Plan is divided into two categories: Surveillance and
Response. Early detection and the rapid, accurate diagnosis of disease set the stage for
response activities to follow. These are accomplished by surveillance of wild populations
to detect sick or dead birds through diagnostic testing. Once surveillance has provided a
basic understanding of the distribution of the disease and its magnitude, specific response
activities can be formulated. These are used to control the spread of disease, prevent
exposure of susceptible but as yet unexposed hosts, and, where possible and desirable,
eradicate the disease.
The State of Michigan Risk Communication Plan for H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian
Influenza can also be broadly divided into two categories: Surveillance and Response.
Communications and education activities will change tone and direction depending on
circumstance, but are active, ongoing functions related to both surveillance and response
modes. Most media accounts work to draw basic public understanding of the disease by
linking it with Pandemic Influenza. Continual communication and education activities,
directed at lawmakers, key constituency groups, the media, and the general public will
raise public awareness of AI, increase understanding of the disease, and help ensure
broad-based public support in the event that the state moves from a surveillance mode to
a response mode.
(For full emergency response plans see Michigan AI Emergency Response Plans binder
or visit
http://www.Michigan.gov/emergingdiseases )
FEDERAL PLANS
The ability to efficiently control the spread of a highly infectious, exotic disease such as
Asian H5N1, is dependent upon the capacity to rapidly detect the pathogen if introduced.
For this reason, a National Early Detection System for Asian H5N1 in Wild Migratory
Birds is not only prudent, it is necessary. Effective implementation of this National
Detection System will require decentralized planning and execution at regional and state
levels, combined with centralized coordination to ensure national level analysis of
surveillance data for risk assessment. It also involves a partnership between public and
private interests and includes efforts by Federal, State, and local governments as well as
nongovernmental organizations, universities, and other interest groups.
Coordinating groups such as the four Flyway Councils already exist to deal with issues
related to migratory bird management on a broad geographic scale. These Councils
include representation from each of the States in their respective bird flyways as well as
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Therefore, the planning and execution of local and
regional Asian H5N1 early detection efforts will best be accomplished by the States in
collaboration with Federal agencies. States and flyways are exposed to varying degrees of
threat from Asian H5N1. Each has unique circumstances that will shape the direction and
intensity of its early detection efforts. Local USDA offices, both Veterinary Services
(VS) and Wildlife Services (WS) will provide support, surveillance and response services
at infected farms.
Consequently, gaps among regional programs may emerge over time. Centralized
coordination will evaluate the effectiveness of state and regional efforts, allowing for
prioritization of available federal resources.
Integration of this National Early Detection System with similar influenza surveillance
systems in other species (e.g., domestic, feral, zoo) as well as humans will also require
centralized coordination. Surveillance data from all of these systems will be incorporated
into national risk assessments, and preparedness and response planning efforts.
(For full emergency response plans see Michigan AI Emergency Response Plans binder
or visit
http://www.Michigan.gov/emergingdiseases )
CONTACTS:
Michigan Department of Community Health
Dr. Eden Wells, Medical Specialist, Bureau of Epidemiology (517) 335-8165
Orlene Christie, Legislative Liaison (517) 373-6440
Michigan Department of Agriculture
Dr. Steven Halstead, State Veterinarian (517) 373-8118
Liesl Clark, Legislative Liaison (517) 335-2005
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Dr. Steve Schmitt, Wildlife Veterinarian in Charge (517) 336-5040
Rodney Stokes, Legislative Liaison (517) 373-0023
USDA Wildlife Services
Peter H. Butchko, State Director (517) 336-1928
