ABC News is going to run a fictional story about the so called “Bird Flu” on May 9th. Please notice the emphasis on the word “fiction.” More information and talking points from the department of health has been provided at this link.
You can also view the actual document of talking points from the Minnesota Department of Health here.
Preliminary discussions about “bird flu” concerns have been ongoing locally for over a year now. There are a number of public safety sessions that will be held in the next few weeks that will better inform local public safety and health officials of the measured concern and what can best be done to prevent and deal with any potential health issues.
Initially, some common sense approaches are good tools to use in any situation:
1) do not handle dead fowl or other dead wildlife
2) wear shoes/sandals/socks to avoid direct skin contact with animal feces, especially where wild flocks (geese, ducks, etc) may congregate.
We know that the department of health does not plan on testing every dead bird found. This is a similar approach taken during the anthrax threat a few years ago. Using disposal techniques (sealing in a plastic bag, cremation) help limit the spread of many diseases.
If you are traveling, especially abroad, be aware of any potential health threats or alerts before you leave. The U.S. Department of State posts such warnings and information, as does the U.S. Department of Health.
The Fox News Channel ran a information program last night hosted by former House Leader Newt Gingrich. They gave factual information but ran a fictional scenario based on information provided to them by “advisors.”
It’s good to stay current on this issues. It’s good to have the facts and not fiction. As I receive credible information, I’ll share it with you here. The potential threat of H5N1 should be taken seriously. The best weapon we have is credible information and common sense approaches to address the problem.