Upcoming Events What: "Pan Flu" Training When: April 24, 2008 Where: Bangor, Maine Sponsored by: Maine Welfare Directors Association Keynote speaker: Dr Andy Pelletier Me CDC A dramatization followed by a panel discussion will focus on emergency planning and general assistance. Participating in the presentation will be: Kathy Knight, Dir. NE Reg Resource Center Tom Robinson, Dir,Penobscot County EMA Shawn Yardley Dir. City of Bangor Health and Community Services Patty Hamilton Dir. Bangor Public Health Vicki Rae Regional Epidemiologist, Maine CDC Ron Gastia Bangor Police Chief For more information call Shawn Yardley Submitted by:Shawn Yardley,
Director Updates Franklin County Update March 20th Round Table Discussion Summary A Round Table Discussion was held March 20th at the Strong Area Health Center. Community partners represented were from, Franklin Memorial Hospital, the Town of Strong, MSAD #58, Franklin County Emergency Management Office, Maine Primary Care Association, HealthReach Community Health Center’s senior management, and the Mt. Abram, Western Maine and Strong Health Centers. Introductions were made by those attending by stating who they were, their position, and what organization they represented. The purpose and objectives for the RTD had been distributed prior to the participants prior to the meeting but were again reviewed and summarized at the beginning of the meeting. “We are here to exchange business cards prior to a disaster and begin to network addressing the ‘who, what and how’ of disaster response and communicate effectively, specific to pandemic influenza. We then began with a facilitator posing questions to be addressed by the participants. We learned the following: --Who community partners are and what plan is in place to respond in a pandemic flu situation. --What gaps there are and how plans could dovetail. --Who will be initiating directives in responding to a pandemic using the Maine Health Alert System and Incident Command. --What information will be disseminated and the importance of consistent messages at all levels including the public sector, specific to education and resource information. --What venues are currently in place to obtain information on a local level which includes MSAD # 58’s website with a link called Health Resources, and local public access TV provided through the cable company. --How to expand thinking into ‘All Hazards Disaster preparedness and response, that educates the public now with a process or network for communicating. (e.g. relatives calling relatives; friends calling friends; etc.) Click here to read the entire update>> Submitted by Tim Hardy, Franklin County EMA 778-5892 THardy@fncome.com Central Maine Regional Resource Center Update --The CMRRC has been working within our region to develop an alternate care site plan for central Maine. We have had very positive feedback and corporation from our hospitals, EMA directors, the Red Cross, and many others in our community. The plan which includes site selection and supply is well underway and continues to move forward in a positive direction. We are planning a full tabletop for the fall. --CMRRC has streamlined a hospital incident command system course (HICS), intended to prepare for pandemic response and hospital mass casualty incident. The CMRRC continues to put on HICS trainings for our hospitals on a monthly basis. We have opened this course to any of our regional partners and anyone interested in attending is encouraged to do so. Dates and times are available through the Email below. --CMRRC, in coordination with the NMRRC and the SMRRC is completing a state wide hospital contact list intended for pandemic emergencies, and is developing a gap analysis to determine our statewide strengths and weaknesses in ongoing pandemic influenza preparedness planning. --CMRRC Update: Training has been completed for the PortaCount N95 fit test machines they are being implemented by most of our regional hospitals to comply with the current standards for fit testing. Being the first to pursue the idea of sharing machines to fit test in Maine, we have been relying on feedback from our hospitals to determine success. I am happy to report it has been an overwhelming success! Submitted by Nathaniel Sparling Project Coordinator CMRRC Office: 207-795-2939 sparlina@cmhc.org Northeast Maine Regional Resource Center Update --NE-MRRC in partnership with Hancock County EMA recently hosted a Pandemic Influenza Tabletop exercise for the League of Towns on Mount Desert Island. The exercise was a great success and participants found it to be very beneficial. --NE-MRRC staff continues to have conference calls with County EMA Directors, American Red Cross, and the MPCA on a monthly basis. --NE-MRRC staff is working extremely closely with Bill Jenkins from Maine CDC on the rollout of the new Maine Health Alert Network. --The NE-MRRC has created 10 personal disaster preparedness kits, 10 “Go Kits”, and 10 “Pet Go Kits” to be used as training tools for personal preparedness trainings in the region. --NE-MRRC staff has been working closely with students from the UMaine nursing program to conduct a survey of first responders and first receivers in the northeastern region to determine their level of personal preparedness. The students will then develop an intervention to address the gaps identified from the survey. --The April Northeastern Maine Regional Collaborative Meeting is scheduled for April 29, 2007 from 10:00am – 3:00pm at the Cianchette Building in Brewer. All are welcome. Respectfully submitted by Steven P. Johndro, MPH, Infectious Disease Coordinator, Northeastern Maine Regional Resource Center. sjohndro@emh.org (207) 973 – 5551 Southern Maine Regional Resource Center Update --SMRRC staff continued its public education campaign partnering with Sagadahoc County EMA. The West Bath Fire Department hosted an educational session which was open to the public. Community members and first responders attended. Topics included pandemic flu as well as personal preparedness. --SMRRC staff held two regional meetings over the past month to update and coordinate projects with its partner hospitals. Major topics included pandemic flu planning as well as alternate care site planning. --SMRRC staff met with University of Southern Maine (USM) Nursing students to discuss pandemic influenza planning for the southern Maine region. The students, who are a part of a community health concentration at USM have been conducting research on pandemic influenza and its impact on the community for the past semester. Their project concludes this month with a presentation and paper. --SMRRC staff attended an alternate care site planning meeting at Central Maine RRC. The meeting, which brought together key stakeholders from the central Maine region, was a fantastic step in alternate care site planning for pandemic flu and all hazards preparedness. Submitted by Joshua Frances, MPH, EMT-I Cell: 207-831-8459 francj2@mmc.org
NATIONAL:
Secretary Leavitt Writes About Pandemic Exercise With Bloggers (March 20) Blog Entry> What if a Flu Like 1918’s Broke Out Now? March 23, 2008 - WHEN an outbreak of the Spanish flu spread worldwide in 1918, a doctor in Newark advised his patients that they could cure their illness with red onions and coffee. In Atlantic City, the authorities closed amusement parks and theaters indefinitely. And in upstate New York, public health officials distributed a poster warning people against “careless spitting, coughing, sneezing.” More>> Pandemic Update V March 17, 2008 - Forty million people died when the last major influenza pandemic swept around the world in 1918. We have seen two less severe pandemics since then. We will no doubt see another sometime in the future. We don’t know when, and we don’t know how bad it will be. But we know it will happen sooner or later and that what we do now will save lives — maybe millions of lives — in the future. More >> Pandemic Update V - pdf Potential Penalties for Health Care School closings may be no holiday for flu pandemic April 9, 2008 - Closing schools during an influenza pandemic could prevent one in seven cases of flu, British researchers said on Wednesday in a study that suggests such action would have less impact than some other estimates. More>> States fall behind on buying flu drugs April 10, 2008 - State budget pressures are hampering the federal government's push to stockpile enough antiviral drugs to treat 25% of the U.S. population in a flu pandemic. More>>
Viral progression since 2003 H5N1
New since previous newsletter (March 14th): Humans - New cases ( 5 this month):
New countries with Birds infected None this month Other animals with H5N1: February - Civets in Vietnam WHO - H5N1 Avian Influenza: Timeline of Major Events Updated March 25, 2008 Source: World Health Organization (WHO) Update on Avian Influenza in Animals (Type H5) Source: World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) GRAPH showing the number of outbreaks in poultry by country. The Map below shows locations of current outbreaks of H5N1 in animals from March 11, 2008 to April 11, 2008 . Can also choose from over 100 diseases to map. Click here to view outbreak map online (Canada outbreak is H7N3)
International News H5N1
Ducks and rice play key role in avian influenza outbreaks - New scientific findings published March 26, 2008 - Ducks, people and rice paddies – rather than chickens – are the major factors behind outbreaks of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza in Thailand and Viet Nam, and are probably behind outbreak persistence in other countries of the region such as Cambodia and Lao PDR. More>> China reports birdflu in tibetan poultry April 7, 2008 - China said on Monday that an outbreak of birdflu had killed 268 chickens at a poultry farm in the Tibet region. Tests by a national laboratory showed the birds had died from the H5N1 strain of the virus, but it is now under control in the affected area, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement on its Web site (www.agri.gov.cn). More>> Map of China South Korea reports fourth farm infected with bird flu, testing for deadly strain April 8, 2008 - South Korea reported Tuesday that a fourth farm was infected with bird flu, deepening concerns the disease was spreading. The first two cases were caused by the H5N1 strain that can be deadly for people, and tests were under way to see if two other poultry farms were struck by the same virus, the Agriculture Ministry said. More>> Map of South Korea India begins culling chickens in bird flu-hit Tripura April 10, 2008 - India began culling thousands of chickens on Tuesday and checking people for fever in remote northeastern villages on the border with Bangladesh after tests on dead poultry confirmed bird flu infections. More>> Map of India |
April 11 , 2008 Vol 3 Issue 4
You may visit the WHO website by clicking on the header above. Influenza Virus Tracking System from WHO Visit Maine CDC's website featuring specialized sections for businesses, individuals, families and health care workers: www.MaineFlu.gov Spanish Pandemic Influenza in Maine from September 1918 to May 1919 that killed about 5,000 people in Maine. 1918: The Great Pandemic: US 1918-1919 Tracking Charts & Maps Human Deaths by H5N1 by Age Chart Human Infections and Human Deaths by Month Chart Number of New Countries with Bird Flu by Month Chart Map of Asia, Europe & Africa showing spread of Bird Flu Map of the World Showing Countries Infected by Bird Flu by Year Country First Infected County Updates Cumberland County & City of Portland Penobscot County and City of Bangor Innovative County Pandemic Influenza Ideas
Maine's Regional Resource Centers Central Maine Regional Resource Center: Hospital Pan Flu Planning Contact List Northeastern Maine Regional Resource Center: Hospital Pan Flu Planning Contact List Southern Maine Regional Resource Center Hospital Pan Flu Planning Contact List Questions and Answers Questions and Answers About Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) and Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus CDC Avian influenza frequently asked questions WHO Preparedness Resources Maine's DRAFT Pan Flu Plan Maine CDC Pandemic Influenza -- What You Can Do by Dr. Dora Anne Mills, Public Health Officer, DHHS, Maine CDC (Formerly Bureau of Health) Franklin Memorial Hospital Pandemic Influenza Plan Pandemic Planning Template for Long Term Care Facilities Maine Health Care Association *NEW* Emergency Preparedness Monthly! March 2008 Harvard School of Public Health Pandemic Flu – Take The Lead Department of Defense Implementation Plan for Pandemic Influenza Tabletop Exercises for Pandemic Influenza Preparedness in Local Public Health Agencies DHHS Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism 2007 Trust for America's Health Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism 2006 Trust for America's Health Modeling Community Containment for Pandemic Influenza Institute of Medicine of National Academies Pandemic Influenza - Best Practices & Model Protocols Department of Homeland Security CDC Influenza Pandemic Operation Plan is an INTERNAL document that provides guidance for CDC operations as directed by the Director, CDC. Prepared by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension -
Protecting Employees from Avian Flu (Avian Influenza) Viruses OSHA How to Protect Yourself and Your Family: CDC Employee Guide for Influenza Pandemic Preparedness CDC APHA Prescription for Pandemic Flu (also in PDF) American Public Health Association WHO Interim Protocol: Rapid operations to contain the initial emergence of pandemic influenza Online 3-Day Course for State & Local Responders CSTE Promising Practices: Pandemic Preparedness Tools This project aims to enhance public health preparedness for an influenza pandemic and conserve resources by sharing promising practices. Kansas Vulnerable Populations Outreach Toolkit Quick Cards for Employees to Protect Yourself from Avian Flu OSHA Federal Employment Laws
Understanding Avian Influenza Lesson Plan Resource for teaching high school biology students about avian influenza, specifically highly pathogenic H5N1 USDA Recommendations and laboratory procedures for detection of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in specimens from suspected human cases PDF from WHO Rev August 2007 WORKING PAPER: Patent issues related to influenza viruses and their genes WHO North American Plan for Avian and Pandemic Influenza PDF Factsheet PDF
Influenza Planning Checklists from www.pandemicflu.gov Spanish Chinese Vietnamese State & Local Government Overview State & Local Government Checklist
Faith Community Checklist Medical Reserve Corps Units Checklist Mass Medical Care with Scarce Resources: A Community Planning Guide Checklist Individuals and Family Checklist Also available in other languages
Basic Components of Pandemic Planning Child Care and Preschool Checklist Colleges and Universities Checklist School District (K-12) Checklist Pandemic Flu: A Planning Guide for Educators Guidance for Educators During Severe Pandemic (PDF - KB) Q & A by Dept of Ed Correctional Facilities Checklist Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic Checklist Health Insurer Checklist Law Enforcement Checklist Travel Industry Checklist US Businesses with Overseas Operations Checklist Emergency Medical Service and Non-Emergent (Medical) Transport Organizations Checklist Family Emergency Health Information Sheet Checklist Home Health Care Services Checklist Hospital Preparedness Checklist Medical Offices & Clinics Checklist Long-term Care & Other Residential Facilities Checklist Planning & Response Questions DHHS updated 12/10/07 Posters and Brochures Brochure Avian Influenza - Protecting U.S. Agriculture USDA/DHS/DOI Keep Bird Flu Out of the United States - Informational Poster on Illegal Smuggling of Birds by USDA/DHS/DOI Stay Healthy Poster Maine CDC PDF in English Word in English PDF in Spanish Word in Spanish CDC Website Posters in PDF in 2 sizes and 9 languages for: Health Care Community & Public Settings
Information on Masks Interim Public Health Guidance for the Use of Facemasks and Respirators in Non-Occupational Community Settings during an Influenza Pandemic www.pandemicflu.gov Information on Vaccine Questions and Answers on Pandemic Influenza Vaccine May 9, 2007 from World Health Organization (WHO) FDA Approves First U.S. Vaccine for Humans Against the Avian Influenza Virus H5N1 Press Release April 17, 2007 FDA Finalizes Guidances for Pandemic and Seasonal Influenza Vaccines Press Release May 31, 2007 Draft Guidance on Allocating and Targeting Pandemic Influenza Vaccine (PDF - 719.41 KB) October 23, 2007 Projected supply of pandemic influenza vaccine sharply increases WHO October 23, 2007 Process of Seasonal and H5N1 influenza vaccine virus selection and development WHO November 19, 2007 Antigenic and genetic characteristics of H5N1 virus and candidate H5N1 vaccine viruses developed for potential as human vaccines WHO February 2008
Websites for more information
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/index.htm World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) USDA Draft Avian Influenza Response Plan USDA's Implementation of the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza As you read articles on avian influenza (AKA bird flu) and pandemic influenza, here are a few things to keep in mind: Avian influenza is the scientific name for Bird Flu. H5N1 is the designation of the version of avian influenza that is currently transmittable from birds to humans. The H5N1 strain may be transmitted to humans by infected wild and domestic birds and the meat from these birds. It is almost always transmitted to humans by close contact with an infected bird, such as the infected bird sneezing on a human or the human coming in close contact with feces or feather dust from an infected bird. Pandemic influenza occurs when the avian influenza mutates from a bird-to-human virus to a human-to-human virus and the outbreak is worldwide. Right now there are no known strains of avian influenza that can be transmitted human-to-human. Previous Issues February 15, 2008 Vol 3 Issue 2 January 18, 2008 Vol 3 Issue 1 More issues: |
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