THE NEW JERSEY CENTER FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS AT UMDNJ
UMDNJ - SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

NJCPHP News PHlash

APRIL 8 2006 - APRIL 23 2006

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

I. PREPAREDNESS NEWS
[1] Bird flu virus may be spread by smuggling- The New York Times (4/15/06)
[2] Tornadoes blew through emergency plans' cracks- Tennessean (4/17/06)
[3] Many health care workers won't show up in flu pandemic- HealthDay Reporter (4/18/06)
[4] Governor backs new health agency- San Francisco Chronicle (4/19/06)
[5] Mumps outbreak tests pandemic plans-Stateline.org (4/23/06)

II. UPCOMING EVENTS
[1] Pandemic Planning: Breaking Down the Barriers Between Science, Policy, and Politics-POSTPONED
[2] Public Health & Mental Health Response: Psychological First Aid(4/27/06)
[3] New Jersey Emergency Preparedness Conference (5/11/06 and 5/12/06)
[4] US DOT 2006 Multimodal Hazardous Materials Training Seminar (5/16/06 and 5/17/06)
[5] Save the date: The Real Story: Communicating through a Crisis (6/8/06)

III. ANNOUNCEMENTS
[1] Governor Corzine names Director of Homeland Security and Preparedness
[2] Pandemic Flu Planning Assignment
[3] APHIS: Safeguarding the US from highly-pathogenic avian influenza
[4] Avian Influenza Response from USAID
[5] The Nursing Center for Bioterrorism and Emerging Infectious Diseases Preparedness- Online Course Offerings

I. PREPAREDNESS NEWS:
[1] Bird flu virus may be spread by smuggling- The New York Times (4/15/06) There is increasing evidence that a thriving international trade in smuggled poultry ‹ including live birds, chicks and meat ‹ is helping spread bird flu, experts say. Poultry smuggling is a huge business that poses a unique threat: The (A)H5N1 bird flu virus is robust enough to survive not just in live birds but also in frozen meat, feathers, bones and even on cages, though it dies with cooking. "No one knows the real numbers, but they are large," said Timothy E. Moore, director of federal projects at the National Agricultural Biosecurity Center at Kansas State University. Particularly when smuggled live, poultry can easily pass the disease on to birds in other countries. Though the risk of transmission in, say, infected frozen duck feet in a restaurant is minimal, poultry parts can also spread the disease to birds when used as raw feed or in fertilizer on farms.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/15/world/europe/15bird.html?ex=11460240003&en=dd32b8d883975218&ei=5070

[2] Tornadoes blew through emergency plans' cracks- Tennessean (4/17/06) Deadly tornadoes swept across Tennessee, exposing gaps in emergency preparedness planning. Traffic backed up for miles as commuters jammed major roadways after the storms. "A traffic plan would have been helpful," said Jennifer Saylor, who had difficulty getting home to check on her son, who was home alone in an area hit by a tornado. Officials said downed power lines and trees forced police to keep vehicles from entering the affected areas. "I think we have a plan for our major areas, but the tornado covered such a long trail across the county. That caught us off-guard," said Sumner County Executive Hank Thompson. As county workers hunkered down in the unlighted basement of the administrative building, Thompson began listing the gaps in the region¹s emergency planning. The list included satellite phones, emergency lights in the county building¹s basement, a generator-powered television, traffic plans, and the need for compatible radio systems between different agencies.
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006604170340

[3] Many health care workers won't show up in flu pandemic- HealthDay Reporter (4/18/06) A recent survey that finds that close to half of U.S. public health-care workers would not show up for work if a pandemic occurred. In fact, two-thirds of the 308 employees polled said their work would put them at risk of contracting the potentially deadly flu should an outbreak come to pass. "Forty-two percent of the health care workers surveyed said they would not respond in the event of a flu pandemic," said study co-author Dr. Daniel J. Barnett, an instructor at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Public Health Preparedness in Baltimore. "The most important factor, in terms of showing up for work, was how much the individual employee perceived his or her role [to be] in the agency's response," he added. The less important an employee thought his or her role was, the less likely they were to report for work, Barrett said. The link to the study is below as well.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20060418/hl_hsn/manyhealthcareworkerswontshowupinflupandemic

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/6/99/abstract

[4] Governor backs new health agency- San Francisco Chronicle (4/19/06) California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has won backing for the creation of a separate state health department responsible for managing public health threats. The governor said it was time California had a single department focused on the public health risks posed by epidemics, natural disasters and bioterrorism. "By focusing on public health, this new department will ensure that when a disaster strikes, Californians will still be able to breathe clean air, drink safe water and eat healthy foods," Schwarzenegger said at a conference in San Francisco marking the centennial of the 1906 earthquake."We must plan for the inevitable."
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/04/19/BAGIPIBFUK1.DTL

[5] Mumps outbreak tests pandemic plans-Stateline.org (4/23/06) State officials in the Midwest are using an outbreak of mumps to test emergency health plans. The real-life exercise is critical for health officials, who have struggled to ready their systems for a possible flu pandemic in the near future.
http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/14498/

II. UPCOMING EVENTS:

[1] Pandemic Planning: Breaking Down the Barriers Between Science, Policy, and Politics- POSTPONED The conference scheduled to be held on April 29, 2006 at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway has been postponed indefinitely.

[2] Public Health & Mental Health Response: Psychological First Aid (4/27/06)
NJ-PTC partner the UMDNJ School of Public Health offers this training that will focus on enhancing the knowledge of public health professionals on the psychosocial aspects of disaster response & bioterrorism. Public health professionals will learn the psychological response to critical incidents so they can diminish the risk of hysteria in the population at large. The 2-hour training will be on April 27, 2006 at the Salem County Vocational School. 2 CEs and 2 CHES credits.

[3] New Jersey Emergency Preparedness Conference (5/11/06 and 5/12/06)
The New Jersey Emergency Preparedness Association's Annual Conference provides training and coordination and promotes the development of public & private partnerships in planning, response, recovery and mitigation in all types of emergencies. It will be held at the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, NJ. For more information: http://www.njepa.org/

For more information and to register, visit http://ophp.umdnj.edu, and click on NJPTC under "Seminars and Events."

[4] US DOT 2006 Multimodal Hazardous Materials Training Seminar (5/16/06 and 5/17/06) in Newark, NJ at the Doubletree Hotel. This FREE US DOT-sponsored Seminar will provide participants the opportunity to discuss Hazardous Materials Transportation regulatory, enforcement and emergency response issues necessary for the safe and secure transportation of hazardous materials. Representatives from FAA, FRA, FMCSA, PHMSA, USCG and NJ State Police will give 90 minute hazmat workshops. Learn how to ship infectious substances and regulated medical waste in accordance with US DOT Title 49 CFR regulations. Seminar Registration telephone number (202) 366-4900 and website: http://hazmat.dot.gov//training/training.htm

[5] Save the date: The Real Story: Communicating through a Crisis (6/8/06)
This event will be held from 9 am to 4 pm at Mercer County Community College, West Windsor, NJ. Please save the date on your calendar to attend this informative conference on crisis communications. This day-long conference will include a media panel on what reporters want during emergencies, an interactive discussion on communications challenges during an influenza pandemic, risk communication principles, and how to deal with stress during emergencies. The conference is intended for professionals in media relations, public information and communication professionals. The conference is free. Registration information will be available after April 20, 2006. For more information, contact Tom Slater at the New Jersey Dept. of Health & Senior Services-Office of Communications (609) 292-8379.

For a complete listing of preparedness training events and educational course offerings, please visit the ASPH Centers for Public Health Preparedness Online Education Calendar at:
http://www.asph.org/acphp/educationCalendar.cfm

III. ANNOUNCEMENTS

[1] Governor Corzine names Director of Homeland Security and Preparedness
Governor Jon S. Corzine signed an Executive Order creating the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (HSP) and named Richard L. Cañas to the cabinet-level post. Cañas, who will report directly to the Governor, has a 34-year career in law enforcement and intelligence. As director, Cañas will coordinate across all levels of government and the private sector, serving as principle advisor to the Governor on homeland security issues. This strategy will allow the office to adopt an "all-hazards" approach by combining various security aspects under one structure while drawing on the existing expertise of all agencies.The office will specifically focus on emergency preparedness, training, funding and counter-terrorism.

[2] Pandemic Flu Planning Assignment
Currently University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh students enrolled in Virology are working on group assignments to develop pandemic flu plans specific to Winnebago County/the Oshkosh, Wisconsin community. This web site serves as an outreach portal for the project. The class instructor is Dr. Teri Shors. For more information: http://www.uwosh.edu/projects/fluplanning

[3] APHIS: Safeguarding the US from highly-pathogenic avian influenza
The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has released a fact sheet on their actions, plans, and capabilities for addressing the bird flu threat.
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/pubs/fsheet_faq_notice/fs_ahhpaiplan.html

[4] Avian Influenza Response from USAID
The US Agency of International Development has a section on their website devoted to avian influenza. USAID is working to ensure an effective and coordinated approach to this economic and public health threat. http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/home/News/news_items/avian_influenza.html

[5] The Nursing Center for Bioterrorism and Emerging Infectious Diseases Preparedness in collaboration with the Rutgers College of Nursing Center for Professional Development present online course offerings for nurses and other public health professionals. Eight different courses are being offered on topics including biological weapons, infection control, and psychosocial care. For more information, including how to register, go to http://nursing.rutgers.edu/cpd/ or call The Center for Professional Development at
(973)353-5895.

For more information, or to view the NJCPHP News PHlash Archive, please visit us at: www.njcphp.org

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The New Jersey Center for Public Health Preparedness at UMDNJ, UMDNJ-School of Public Health does not claim responsibility for accuracy of facts and information presented. All opinions expressed are those of the original authors and do not represent the views of NJCPHP staff or affiliates.
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