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September/October 2006 email.
September / October 2006
Article
Avian Flu Facts and Plans
Pandemic is a word that has gained popularity in recent years
because of the threat posed by a new type of avian flu virus.
Yet, most people have lived through two prior pandemics, and
some even three. Chances are you have a grandparent or
great-grandparent who died in the great flu epidemic of
1918-1919. Worldwide more than 50 million people died, 675,000
of them in the United States. That was a pandemic.
Also categorized as pandemics were the flu scares of 1957-58 and
1968-69. An epidemic affects a region; a pandemic affects the
world.
Where do we stand now?
It takes three conditions for a pandemic to start:
- a new influenza virus
subtype must emerge for which there is little or no human
immunity;
- it must infect humans and cause
illness; and
- it must spread easily and
sustainably (continue without interruption) among humans.
The H5N1 virus in Asia, Europe, and
Africa meets the first two conditions: it is a new virus for humans
and it has infected a growing number of people, killing over half of
those known to have been infected.
However, the third condition, the establishment of efficient and
sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus, has not
occurred. Those who have contracted the illness most likely did so
from direct contact with infected birds or their leavings or by
consuming raw food from the birds.
Are travelers in any danger now?
The risk of avian influenza to travelers is very low, according to
pandemicflu.gov. The website provides one-stop access to U.S.
Government avian and pandemic flu information and is managed by the
Department of Health and Human Services.
Only rare cases of human
infection with avian influenza have occurred, and there has been
no sustained human to human transmission. Travelers to areas
affected by avian influenza in birds are not considered to be at
elevated risk of infection unless direct and unprotected
exposure to infected birds occurs.
The site gives those traveling to an affected area the following
cautions
- Avoid contact with live
poultry and wild birds
- Avoid visiting live animal
markets and poultry farms
- Avoid contact with surfaces
contaminated with animal droppings.
- Avoid handling birds found dead
- Do not eat or handle undercooked
or raw poultry, egg or duck dishes
- Exercise good personal hygiene
with frequent hand washing
What’s being done to prepare for a
possible pandemic?
With the last three pandemics, there was little or no warning.
No time for preventive steps, no time to prepare a vaccine. This
time the World Health Organization and others throughout the world
are carefully monitoring the situation among birds and humans.
Alarms will be quickly sounded if human-to-human transmission
becomes easy and sustainable.
Then, a network of preventive and corrective systems will be
launched. These include the development of a vaccine. Unfortunately,
an effective vaccine cannot be created until the exact nature of the
virus is known. That means it will be a minimum of 6 months after
identifying the human virus before the vaccine can be available. It
takes 6 to 9 months for a pandemic to circle the globe, thus buying
time for some areas. Work is proceeding now on anti-viral
medications and vaccines for what is currently known. Medicine
distribution and disease containment plans are also in the works.
What can you do?
WHO and national governments are encouraging businesses to
prepare their pandemic plans now. These are systems that both
protect employees and aim to reduce disruption of essential
goods and services. Checklists at the pandemicflu.gov
site identify important, specific activities large businesses
can do now to prepare, many of which will also help in other
emergencies.
The checklists cover:
- Plan for the impact of a
pandemic on your business
- Plan for the impact of a
pandemic on your employees and customers
- Establishing policies to be
implemented during a pandemic
- Allocating resources to protect
your employees and customers during a pandemic
- Communicating to and educating
your employees
- Coordinating with external
organizations and helping your community
Get a copy of these checklists.
The site also includes a section offering a
pandemic flu planning checklist for individuals and families.
Stephen Martin, MD, an official with the World Health Organization
in Geneva, presented a session at the GEP Summit in Austria this
summer on business planning for the potential pandemic. His talk
sparked lively questions and discussions. Below are some additional
international websites that he recommends for obtaining the latest
information on business preparedness.
Useful precautions for cooks:
Though no contaminated poultry has been found in the United States,
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) advises that cooking
poultry to the proper temperature and preventing cross-contamination
between raw and cooked food is the key to food safety.
Consumers are reminded to:
- Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before
and after handling food.
- Prevent cross-contamination by keeping raw poultry, meat, and fish
and their juices away from other foods.
- After cutting raw meat, wash cutting board, knife, and countertops
with hot, soapy water.
- Sanitize cutting boards by using a solution of 1 teaspoon chlorine
bleach in 1 quart of water; and
- Use a food thermometer to ensure poultry has reached the safe
internal temperature of at least 165 °F to kill food borne germs
that might be present, including the avian influenza virus.
Will a pandemic occur?
No one can say for sure if the bird virus will mutate to become a
flu virus that can be passed from human to human. But scientists
think it is likely that another pandemic will occur. Only this time,
advance warning and plans in place will make a big difference in
containing it. Preparation is key.
For more fascinating and useful information, browse the
pandemicflu.gov website.
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