Bird Flu Center

The state of California has placed an order of over 3.7 million treatment doses of anti-viral drugs which could help treat a human form of avian influenza in the unfortunate event of a pandemic in the region. The state’s budged, recently passed, has set aside 53.3 million dollars for a stockpile of such drugs, which are apparently needed to protect against a potentially deadly outbreak of the disease. Tamiflu and Relenza are the preferred choices for treatment, being the two most common treatments to have had some proven results so far in the battle against the feared virus. A plan proposed last fall establishes that the federal government will pay 25% of the cost of the treatments, and the states will have to cover the rest of 75%. A separate national supply will also be purchased by the federal government and made available to states later on. An outbreak of influenza is a real possibility, experts warn, especially as the virus has the ability to mutate into new strains which could possibly be transmitted very easily from person to person, causing a world pandemic which could kill millions.

Contra Costa County officials in California have set up a plan designed to prepare local school for the event of a massive bird flu outbreak. The initiative was born from the growing worldwide concern over the issue and the predictions that a flu pandemic is not a distant possibility. The guidelines are taken from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from the American Red Cross and form local health offices.

They state that campuses should closely monitor the disease and offer clues as to what can people do to prevent the spread of the virus. A local spokesperson said it is a positive step forward, as in the event of a pandemic there will not be enough time to develop safety plans. The guidelines say after the first occurrences of the virus, schools should start their program by screening children and teachers alike for flu symptoms and tracking flu-caused absences, which should be logged and sent periodically to the health department. When more than 30 % of students are missing because of the flu, a campus should be shut down completely.