Scientists Fight Back Against H5N1 Avian Flu

In addition, suggestions were made to have more government and industry interaction, conduct emergency AI tabletop exercises and risk assessment, engage public interest groups in discussions and assure that bio-security measures are in place and functioning properly.

“If AI were to infect humans—that is a whole different deal,” Ades continues. “I’m not sure it will occur. The virus would have to mutate and have easy contact from human to human. In the past, AI mutated through a pig, and humans and AI act like a mixing bowl.” He believes that the original 1918 AI was caused by this mix. “It will probably mutate in Asia where there is more human contact with farm animals. Will it come over here and keep mutating? I don’t know.”

The official government site, www.pandemicflu.gov, now has a pandemic checklist for businesses and federal, state and local governments. “The issue is trying to work with folks and see where they are,” Ades says. “It is a good idea to have planning, but even with so many programs, we will be sorely taxed if the pandemic hits.”

He offers this diatribe of questions: How do we get nurses into the hospital to take care of flu-stricken patients; are there enough laundry facilities in the hospital to accommodate the increased load; who is watching the kids if there’s no childcare, how do you communicate if cell phones aren’t working, how do you file medical claims if no one is in the office, what kind of travel restrictions will there be, is IT strong enough to support a ripple effect. Do we have the infrastructure needed to keep communication lines open? “Lots of people,” Ades says, “lots of plans. There hasn’t been enough testing to understand where the gaps are. Will all the programs work? Probably not.”

From Maine to Hawaii: Preparing for a Possible Pandemic

The Hawaii State Department of Health (HDOH) has worked together with state and federal partners to enable Hawaii to become the first state in the nation to establish an airport surveillance program designed to detect novel influenza viruses, including AI. The program’s goal is to improve the state’s ability to detect, identify, and prevent the spread and outbreak of common and uncommon flu viruses as well as help curb the potential threat of a pandemic flu outbreak.

“Due to Hawaii’s unique geographic location in the Central Pacific Ocean, we realize how important it is to establish some type of monitoring as well as detection system,” says Health Director Dr. Chiyome Fukino. “We are very concerned in Hawaii about the fact we are the western doorway to the United States. We see a large number of visitors and a good proportion of them are from the Far East where we know a good number of emerging diseases are originating.”

The program uses the current existing protocol, in which the Queen’s Airport Medical Service is called to evaluate ill passengers at the arrival gate when pilots notify the Honolulu airport tower of such. The CDC and Prevention Station as well as the HDOH may also be notified if the passenger is assessed to have a potentially communicable disease.

Under the airport surveillance program, passengers with fevers and respiratory symptoms would also be requested to undergo testing for the flu virus by sampling with a nasal swab. This program is an important extension of Hawaii’s influenza sentinel surveillance.

The HDOH has also launched a new Web page, www.hawaii.gov/health, that provides resources for comprehensive information about Avian Flu and preparing for the possibility of a global outbreak or pandemic. The site combines resources from multiple agencies at the local, state and federal levels and organizes it for various groups, including businesses, governments, the agricultural community and for individual citizens. “Although there is no pandemic, and avian flu has not developed in the United States, it is important for everyone to know how to prepare their families, friends, coworkers and neighbors and what to do in case of a pandemic” Fukino says.