Fire district planning for bird flu outbreak

Avian flu or bird flu as it is sometimes known has been in the national news lately. Now, facing the possibility that it could come to Sisters, the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District is preparing for that likelihood.

“We are in the preliminary planning stages on how our emergency services can serve the Sisters community if the flu does mutate from animals to humans and if it does reach this area,” said Fire Marshal David Wheeler.

Wheeler is one of three committee members from the district responsible for determining what the district’s plan for the Avian flu will be. Jeff Liming and Steve Ward complete the committee.

The fire district is one of many Central Oregon public agencies working under coordination of the Deschutes County Health Department assessing how residents should be prepared. The county, in turn, gets direction from the Oregon Health Department that works with federal agencies.

“We will have two major responsibilities if the flu strikes here,” Wheeler said. “We will respond to the community’s health needs and at the same time keep our own personnel protected and healthy.

“We are working with the Deschutes County Health Department to identify the supplies that we should have on hand, such as masks, gloves, Tyvek suits, and goggles,” Wheeler said. “We also need to determine where we would care for great numbers of personnel infected with the flu.”

Flu pandemics, an outbreak that affects an extensive area, were recorded in 1918, 1957, and 1968. The 1918 flu, known as the Spanish flu, was the most severe, causing a half million deaths in the United States and over 20 million deaths worldwide.

The flu causes a high fever, aching muscles, sore throat and persistent cough. For many, it can be fatal. Most flu originates in Asia because of dense human populations and close human contact with birds and pigs. Recently, some strains were found to be transmitted directly from birds to humans.

Since those transmissions occurred, nations around the world have been preparing for the possibility that the flu strain could mutate and be transmitted from human to human.

The Avian flu had not mutated by May 17 despite the fact that is has been around for nine years. If it does mutate, it could rival the 1918 flu, according to state health officials. They predict that with a moderate pandemic, 1.7 million Oregonians would be sick, 585,000 would be outpatients, 11,245 inpatients, 1,677 in intensive care, 845 on ventilator, and 24,700 would die. One third of Oregon’s work force could be affected.

More details will be available on district and family preparedness as the fire district continues to develop its plan.