Town outlines plan to combat avian flu
By Michael Dinan
Staff Writer
March 30, 2006
No one knows whether the avian flu virus that's killed tens of millions of birds since it emerged a decade ago will cause a pandemic among humans.
But if the virus ever develops the capacity for human-to-human transmission, health and emergency response officials will put into effect a comprehensive plan to contain and combat it in Greenwich, a panel of experts said last night.
"Cooperation and collaboration are crucial to these plans," Tom Mahoney, director of the Greenwich Department of Health's office of special clinical services said during a two-hour event billed as "Avian Flu: A Community Response."
More than 125 residents attended the free talk, presented by the health department and Greenwich Hospital. A panel of health and emergency response officials discussed in broad terms their plans for handling a flu pandemic and offered preparation tips for residents.
"There's no indication that there is any human transmission, so that's really good news," said Terry Rabatsky-Ehr, lead epidemiologist with a state health department response team responsible for surveillance and planning in Connecticut.
To date, Rabatsky-Ehr said, 186 people have contracted the virus in eight countries and 105 of them have died. Physicians are divided over the likelihood that it will become transmissible among humans. The virus is spreading quickly among birds, from Asia to Africa and Europe. It hasn't appeared in birds in the United States, though officials expect it to eventually.
Caroline Calderone Baisley, the town's health director, and Stephanie Paulmeno, director of the health department's office of community health planning, painted a grim picture of what would be required in Greenwich in the event of a pandemic. The virus itself may circulate for two days before people start showing symptoms, and would spread quickly, she said. Officials seeking to survey the extent of the virus would issue advisories and alerts through outlets such as the media, churches and community centers even as practical considerations such as the disposal of dead bodies arose.
The town's plan --a foot thick, according to Paulmeno, and developed following state and federal guidelines -- assumes that at least two waves of the flu would strike within six to eight weeks and infect up to half of all residents.
"Vaccine and anti-viral shortages will exist, especially during the early stages of the pandemic," Calderone Baisley said.
The federal government has allocated funds to produce an avian flu vaccine, Rabatsky-Ehr said, but it isn't clear whether that vaccine would offer full immunity.
The best defense against contracting or transmitting an avian flu is the same as seasonal flu, the experts agreed: Wash your hands and stay home if you're sick.
Paulmeno said residents also can prepare by ensuring that their homes are equipped with enough goods to allow them to stay in for several days or even weeks with limited interaction outside.
"Preparedness is a shared responsibility," Calderone Baisley said. "An infection carried by one person can be transmitted to many and for this reason individual preparation is a must."
Paulmeno called for residents to sign up as volunteers to assist in case of a pandemic.
The talk was co-sponsored by Greenwich Library, the Greenwich Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Greenwich Chapter of the League of Women Voters.
By Michael Dinan
Staff Writer
March 30, 2006
No one knows whether the avian flu virus that's killed tens of millions of birds since it emerged a decade ago will cause a pandemic among humans.
But if the virus ever develops the capacity for human-to-human transmission, health and emergency response officials will put into effect a comprehensive plan to contain and combat it in Greenwich, a panel of experts said last night.
"Cooperation and collaboration are crucial to these plans," Tom Mahoney, director of the Greenwich Department of Health's office of special clinical services said during a two-hour event billed as "Avian Flu: A Community Response."
More than 125 residents attended the free talk, presented by the health department and Greenwich Hospital. A panel of health and emergency response officials discussed in broad terms their plans for handling a flu pandemic and offered preparation tips for residents.
"There's no indication that there is any human transmission, so that's really good news," said Terry Rabatsky-Ehr, lead epidemiologist with a state health department response team responsible for surveillance and planning in Connecticut.
To date, Rabatsky-Ehr said, 186 people have contracted the virus in eight countries and 105 of them have died. Physicians are divided over the likelihood that it will become transmissible among humans. The virus is spreading quickly among birds, from Asia to Africa and Europe. It hasn't appeared in birds in the United States, though officials expect it to eventually.
Caroline Calderone Baisley, the town's health director, and Stephanie Paulmeno, director of the health department's office of community health planning, painted a grim picture of what would be required in Greenwich in the event of a pandemic. The virus itself may circulate for two days before people start showing symptoms, and would spread quickly, she said. Officials seeking to survey the extent of the virus would issue advisories and alerts through outlets such as the media, churches and community centers even as practical considerations such as the disposal of dead bodies arose.
The town's plan --a foot thick, according to Paulmeno, and developed following state and federal guidelines -- assumes that at least two waves of the flu would strike within six to eight weeks and infect up to half of all residents.
"Vaccine and anti-viral shortages will exist, especially during the early stages of the pandemic," Calderone Baisley said.
The federal government has allocated funds to produce an avian flu vaccine, Rabatsky-Ehr said, but it isn't clear whether that vaccine would offer full immunity.
The best defense against contracting or transmitting an avian flu is the same as seasonal flu, the experts agreed: Wash your hands and stay home if you're sick.
Paulmeno said residents also can prepare by ensuring that their homes are equipped with enough goods to allow them to stay in for several days or even weeks with limited interaction outside.
"Preparedness is a shared responsibility," Calderone Baisley said. "An infection carried by one person can be transmitted to many and for this reason individual preparation is a must."
Paulmeno called for residents to sign up as volunteers to assist in case of a pandemic.
The talk was co-sponsored by Greenwich Library, the Greenwich Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Greenwich Chapter of the League of Women Voters.
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