The Departments of Agriculture and Health this week outlined their plans to protect Pennsylvanians from an outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza.

The agencies said they will rely on their existing networks to monitor flu cases in both animals and humans and if it is detected, implement the Department of Health’s plan for dealing with an outbreak that involves hospitals, EMS providers and other health care organizations throughout the state.

While people in Southeast Asia have contracted H5N1 avian flu, it has not spread easily from human-to-human.

The Department of Health emphasized that if the H5N1 avian flu were to spread, it would be a global concern and Pennsylvania would be working with public health partners from around the world to deal with the outbreak. At this time, there is no vaccine against this virus.

In addition to monitoring the potential human transmission of the avian flu, steps have been taken to monitor the state's bird population. Each year the Department of Agriculture takes more than 240,000 samples to detect different strains of avian influenza. Those samples have not detected avian flu for more than three years.

For more information, visit the Department of Health PA Pandemic Preparedness webpage.

11/25/2005