Preps for bird flu

Sunday June 4, 2006
NEWS

Experts say U.S. is 'overdue' for flu pandemic
Local officials make plans to limit spread of viruses

WHAT YOU CAN DO

The federal government offers the following suggestions to help families and individuals prepare for pandemic influenza.

* Store a two-week supply of water and food.

* Have nonprescription drugs and health supplies available.

* Volunteer with local groups to prepare and assist with an emergency response.

To limit the spread of the flu virus:

* Wash your hands.

* Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze.

* Avoid large groups, and stay home from work or school if you exhibit flu-like symptoms.

For more information, visit the federal Web site for pandemic influenza at www.pandemicflu.gov.

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By Brian Liberatore
Press & Sun-Bulletin

The hospitals were filled past capacity, and entire families lay isolated in improvised wards. To keep the sickness from spreading further, the county banned all public and private assemblies, from churches and schools to theaters and lodge meetings.

It was October 1918, and the Spanish flu had hit Broome County. By some estimates, the deadly strain of influenza would claim 50 to 100 million lives worldwide,with many of those deaths in the United States.

Broome County health professionals say such an outbreak could happen again.

"I do think something's going to happen, whether it's bird flu or regular flu that mutates into something deadly," said Deborah Mack, infection control officer with United Health Services. "We are overdue for a pandemic in the United States."

In the event that the bird flu, or the H5N1 virus, were to trigger a worldwide flu epidemic, officials say Broome County will be as prepared as it can be. A lot has changed since 1918, said Broome County Public Health Director Claudia Edwards.

"Technology and communication and the ability to communicate electronically will greatly reduce the effects (of a pandemic)," Edwards said.

The advance of technology, Edwards said, would have a double edge. In one respect, advances in global transportation would allow a virus to spread very quickly. Mack said a virus could spread across the world in as few as three days. Fortunately, medical advances such as anti-viral drugs and vaccinations would help minimize the effects of the virus.

The Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization are watching carefully the spread of avian flu among migratory and domestic birds. With a few key mutations, the virus, with a mortality rate near 60 percent, could develop the ability to transmit itself between humans, fueling another pandemic.

The bird flu, according to the CDC, has fulfilled two of the three requirements for a full-fledged pandemic. There is little human immunity to the virus and it can be deadly. The virus fails on the third criterion: It can not spread easily between humans. But with a virus reproducing its RNA coding billions of times, there are a lot of opportunities for the virus to mutate.

"That's why we're looking at getting a plan in place," Edwards said. Under the state Department of Health's authority, the Broome County Health Department would become the lead agency in the county's response. The department's priority would be to buy time, Edwards said, by curbing the spread of the virus.

"The canceling of events would probably be a reality early on," Edwards said. Businesses and schools would close and people would be discouraged or ordered to cease congregating in large numbers. The department has been working with law enforcement and schools and is planning to meet with business leaders in August to plan for such a situation.

"If you're talking about a large scale number of people getting sick and possibly dying," Edwards said, "you're going to see some chaos."

While the county and the state made efforts to stop the spread of a virus, the federal government and pharmaceutical companies would be busy pumping out medications and vaccinations. The Federal Government last year dedicated billions of dollars to beef up the infrastructure necessary to fill 300 million prescriptions.

"I think researchers have been talking about a pandemic for a long time," Edwards said. "As far back as 2001, I can remember attending sessions on pandemic planning. The bird flu has certainly increased planning for a virus."

"I think it's just a matter of when an influenza pandemic hits," Mack said.