Orange County, like many communities throughout our nation, is very concerned about the possibility of a bird or avian flu outbreak. There has been extensive publicity over the devastating effects a flu pandemic could have on our region but very little has been reported about our preparation and planning. That's why I have assembled stakeholders from around our community to review the growing body of knowledge about a potential flu pandemic and discuss our plans to deal with the threat.
Regular flu strains account for approximately 36,000 deaths per year in the U.S. alone. But, what is a pandemic? A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. A flu pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges for which people have little or no immunity and for which there is no vaccine.
The disease spreads easily person-to-person, causes serious illness, and sweeps across the country and around the world in a very short time.
It is difficult to predict when the next influenza pandemic will occur or how severe it will be.
Wherever and whenever a pandemic starts, everyone around the world is at risk. Countries might, through measures such as border closures and travel restrictions, delay arrival of the virus, but they cannot stop it.
Wash your hands often or carry a hand disinfectant. Remember that one of the most common ways people catch colds and the flu is by rubbing their nose or their eyes after their hands have been contaminated with a virus.
Wash your hands often, especially:
Before, during, and after you prepare food.
Before you eat, and after you use the bathroom.
When your hands are dirty, more frequently when someone in your home is sick. Regular hand washing can help you avoid getting sick and keep your kids healthy too.
After pushing a shopping cart or carrying a shopping basket
Routinely clean (with soap and water) and disinfect surfaces, toys, and objects that young children may put in their mouths. Wipe surfaces with paper towels that can be thrown away or cloth towels that can be washed afterwards.
Use disposable tissues to wipe or blow your child's nose.
Teach your children 'cough etiquette', which the American Academy of Pediatrics describes as teaching 'your children to turn their heads and cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue or the inside of their elbow if a tissue is unavailable'.
Avoid close contact with people when you are sick. It isn't really possible to completely avoid people who are sick, so it's better if you just avoid exposing other people to your germs when you or your kids are sick. So don't go to school, daycare, work, etc., if you are sick with the flu.
Mayor's Avian Influenza Summit Orange County Convention Center
Featured Speakers and PowerPoint Presentations:
Federal Response:
Captain Lynn Slepski, Senior Public Health Advisor Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection, Department of Homeland Security ~ PowerPoint Slides
Q & A Session Panel: (answers to questions posed by Mayor's Avian Summit attendees)
Moderator: Dr. Jennifer Bencie-Fairburn, Director of Emergency Medical Operations ~ Florida Department of Health
Panel Members: Dr. Kevin Sherin, Orange County Health Department Director; Chief Carl Plaugher, Orange County Fire and Rescue Department; Jacob Stewart, President of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce; Chief Rickey Ricks, Orange County Sheriff's Office; Joel Hass, CEO of Central Fla. Chapter of the American Red Cross; Kim Streit, VP Health Care Research & Information Services with Florida Hospital Association; Rick Harris, Senior Dir. for Security Safety & Environmental Services, Orange County Public Schools; Tim White, Project Management Specialist for Progress Energy.
For complete coverage of the Summit, visit Orange TV's Video on Demand Feature. (Requires Windows Media Player)
Available on CD: Orange County's Pandemic Flu Planning Resources To request a copy, call (407) 650-4031, ext. 227.
The following links contain valuable information regarding planning for a flu pandemic.Please take a few minutes to view them and use them to better prepare yourself, your family and your business.
Citizens' Safety 
