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September 27,
2007
Little Rock --
Participants at an all-day Tabletop Exercise at the Hilton Hotel in Little Rock got a chance to discuss how they would respond to an Avian Influenza (bird flu) outbreak in Arkansas and neighboring states—before the first diseased bird entered the state. The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), with assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) and the North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness, held a training course adapted from the DHHS/CDC Guidance for State and Local Health Departments for Conducting Investigations of Human Illness Associated with Domestic Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreaks in Animals. Morril Harriman, former Executive Director of The Poultry Federation and current Chief of Staff for Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe, presented the opening remarks and welcomed the group.
This tabletop exercise provided guidance for state and local health departments in identifying and controlling human infections and illness associated with avian influenza (bird flu). The training/tabletop exercise focused on human health during an avian influenza (AI) outbreak in birds and promoted discussion, interaction and planning with individuals in Arkansas and neighboring states and an opportunity for officials working together from key entities responsible for emergency response during an AI outbreak to learn and better understand one another’s roles.
Dr. Sandra Snow, Medical Director for Communicable Diseases/Immunizations, said, “This exercise was a chance for partners to get together before the outbreak. The time to pass out business cards is not during the disaster. We need to meet and learn from one another now, when we have time to think and plan.”
Attendees included senior level epidemiologists, medical personnel, public health preparedness personnel, veterinarians, Department of Agriculture representatives at the state and federal level, poultry Industry representatives, state and federal wildlife authorities, laboratory personnel, emergency management personnel, extension personnel and public information officers.
For more information on avian influenza and Arkansas’ preparedness efforts, contact Melody Parsley – office – 501-280-4166; cell – 501-749-6275; email melody.parsley@arkansas.gov.
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