THE NEW JERSEY CENTER FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS AT UMDNJ

UMDNJ - SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

>>>NJCPHP News PHlash <<<

OCTOBER 1 ­ OCTOBER 14
2005

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S:
I. PREPAREDNESS NEWS

[1] Researchers Reconstruct 1918 Flu Virus- AP (10/06/05)

[2] San Francisco: Quake readiness fair offers tips for coping- San Francisco Chronicle (10/08/05)

[3] What would a modern quarantine look like?- AP (10/10/05)

[4] Big trouble- New York Daily News (10/12/05)

[5] A new New York state of mind- The Christian Science Monitor (10/14/05)

II. UPCOMING EVENTS

[1] "Pandemic Flu and Avian Influenza"- Second Annual Conference (10/27/05)

[2] Clinical Terrorism: A Clinical and Public Health Response (11/01/05, 11/02/05, 11/03/05)

[3] The Role of Health Educators in Addressing Health Disparities (12/01/05)

III. ANNOUNCEMENTS

[1] RX for Survival: A Global Health Challenge

[2] The Nursing Center for Bioterrorism and Emerging Infectious Diseases Preparedness- Online Course Offerings

[3] Voluntary Accreditation System for State and Local Public Health Agencies

[4] NJ Medical Reserve Corps looking for volunteers

I. PREPAREDNESS NEWS:

[1] Researchers Reconstruct 1918 Flu Virus- AP (10/06/05) Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia have reconstructed the influenza virus of 1918 that caused a pandemic. Recreating the virus will help them better understand future pandemics, including the current avian flu in Southeast Asia.
The virus of 1918 was also an avian strain and by examining its genetic properties, scientists can try to explain how the bird-based virus became adapted to humans. The reconstructed virus is no longer a threat to the public¹s health because a subtype of the virus is common and known to the public¹s immune system.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20051006/ap_on_he_me/pandemic_flu_10

[2] San Francisco: Quake readiness fair offers tips for coping- San Francisco Chronicle (10/08/05) The city of San Francisco held an Earthquake Education and Awareness Fair. The fair offered classes in different languages on earthquake preparedness for individuals, families, and pets. It also focused on the different roles that public and private agencies have in preparedness. The event was sponsored by San Francisco's Office of Emergency Services and Homeland Security.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/08/BABADIGEST3.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

[3] What would a modern quarantine look like? - AP (10/10/05) President Bush's comments last week on the potential use of quarantine to fight pandemic influenza have led to a discussion of what modern-day quarantine and isolation might look like. Experts say containment methods for a 21st century flu pandemic would be very different from the methods used in the 1890s, when armed guards patrolled the streets to keep victims of smallpox and other serious diseases isolated in their homes. All of the options need to be on the table.

The image that perhaps was inadvertently conveyed is really a setting in extreme that¹s less likely, said Dr. Marty Cetron, Director of CDC's Division of Global Migration and Quarantine. "There's a whole range of options in the public-health toolbox for ways to achieve the goal of social distancing," he said. Public health officials say modern-day quarantine and isolation would almost always be voluntary, using incentives to cooperate. "I don't think either the Tennessee National Guard or the U.S. Army and Marines will try to establish a cordon sanitaire around Nashville. That¹s not going to happen," said Dr. William Schaffner, an influenza expert at Vanderbilt University. Instead, experts say measures would employ the least restrictive means necessary and would last for the briefest length of time possible. "We're going to have to permit ourselves a graduated, intelligent response to the magnitude of the threat," said Schaffner.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002553083_quarantine11.html?syndication=rss

[4] Big Trouble - New York Daily News (10/12/05) The threat of an avian flu pandemic exists and the consequences are great. Although there have only been 57 flu related deaths since 2003, the H5N1 influenza virus has the ability to mutate and become transmissible from person to person causing a pandemic of similar proportions to the one in 1918. The US is currently stockpiling Tamiflu, an anti- viral drug, but will only have enough to treat 1% of the population.

A H5N1 vaccine is also being perfected, but production of enough of the vaccine remains problematic. The flu is usually most deadly in children and the elderly however; this strain will make the entire population vulnerable and will interrupt daily life. Workplaces, schools, religious gatherings, and sports events could all be cancelled to prevent transmission.
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/354906p-302413c.html

[5] A new New York state of mind- The Christian Science Monitor (10/14/05) Steven Gorelick discusses what he calls the "new rules of public responsibility in the age of terror." Mayor Bloomberg warned the public about a potential terror attack on the New York City subway system only to later find out it may have been a hoax. Public reaction was that of unnecessary worry. The author feels that in this post 9/11 era, the public needs to be more understanding of officials and the warnings that they give about terrorism or the avian flu.

II. UPCOMING EVENTS:

[1] "Pandemic Flu and Avian Influenza"- Second Annual Conference of the Nursing Center for Bioterrorism and Emerging Infectious Diseases

Thursday, October 27, 2005 at the Hilton Woodbridge Hotel 120 Wood Avenue South Iselin, New Jersey.
Fee: $55.00 (Includes continental breakfast and lunch)
Credit: 4.5 Contact Hours

For more information please contact: Dr. Gayle A. Pearson, Director of the Center for Professional Development, Rutgers College of Nursing, 175 University Avenue, Conklin Hall 244, Newark, NJ 07102 (973) 353-5895 or e-mail: cpd@nursetech.rutgers.edu

[2] Clinical Terrorism: A Clinical and Public Health Response

Tuesday, November 1, 2005 at the Bergen County EMS Training Center in Paramus, NJ,
Wednesday, November 2, 2005 at the Middlesex Fire Academy in Sayreville, NJ, and on
Thursday, November 3, 2005 at Barry D. Brown Health Education Center in Voorhees, NJ.
Fee: $40.00

This one-day program will provide a comprehensive overview of response roles of various agencies during and following a chemical terrorism event. Register on- line at www.nltn.org/287-05

[3] The Role of Health Educators in Addressing Health Disparities

December 1, 2005 at Fellowship Village, Basking Ridge, NJ, 8:30am ­ 3:30pm.

Presented by the New Jersey Society for Public Health Education. (NJSOPHE) Please visit www.njsophe.org for more information.

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] RX for Survival: A Global Health Challenge is a six part mini- series that will air on PBS beginning November 1, 2005. The program will cover the history of public health, modern medicine, public health preparedness, vector-borne diseases, nutrition, and the challenges in providing medicine and public health nationally and globally. For more information: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/rxforsurvival

[2] 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.

[3] Voluntary Accreditation System for State and Local Public Health Agencies. The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) have announced formal efforts to explore development of a voluntary accreditation system for state and local public health agencies. As part of the project, a steering committee will be established to write "definitive recommendations" for structuring the system. The committee also will evaluate the feasibility and desirability of accrediting state and local public health agencies. The steering committee's recommendations will be released in one year. For more information, visit http://www.naccho.org/press/releases/PressReleaseAugust1.cfm.

[4] NJ Medical Reserve Corps is looking for volunteers. The New Jersey Medical Reserve Corps launches a new website to sign up volunteers. Individuals interested in joining "... a dedicated group of individuals that can be relied upon in the event of a bioterrorist or natural disaster..." should visit http://www.njmrc.nj.gov/hcpr/ to sign up for this important group.

For more information, or to view the NJCPHP News PHlash Archive, please visit us at www.njcphp.org. Please send any subscription inquiries to baronre@umdnj.edu

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. NJCPHP News PHlash, a bi-weekly news bulletin, is distributed free of charge electronically, with the intention of sharing information of interest and value to our subscribers.

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