From Flu Wiki 2

Forum: Sign At Lake

28 September 2006

Desert Penguin – at 23:22

WARNING Do Not Feed The Waterfowl Feeding the waterfowl leads to increased exposure to Salmonella and Avian (Bird) Flu. (Skull and Crossbones)

These signs were posted all around our residential lakes in our subdivision in a suburb of Phoenix, AZ. Thought it was noteworthy because some of the geese and ducks were crated up by the city a couple of months ago, I witnessed this. Then a couple of weeks ago some geese that were regulars (year rounders) disappeared. I don’t know if they were picked up or not. I’ll call the city and our HOA and find out more tomorrow. Anyone else seeing signs like this?

Made my PPF go up a couple of notches!

29 September 2006

mj – at 01:02

I’ve not seen signs like yours but did just see my first Pandemic Billboard. As I was leaving work in Kokomo, I drove north on S Lafountain by Wendy’s (near the Regional Hospital). And there was a big as life billboard with just one question on it. “If there were an emergency, does your family have a plan?” And then it had “Ready.gov” !! Finally. I can’t decide whether to be happy they are finally getting to the general public, or worried that they think it’s time to. Any billboards where you are driving? I’m wondering if there are other varieties. I posted this on the Indiana thread too. Now maybe people will think “maybe she’s not so crazy after all, and perhaps I should listen to her.” Wonder what other signs we’ll be seeing around our towns?

Ruth – at 08:03

I haven’t seen a sign like that and I feed the ducks all the time at the lake near our home. When the geese come, I leave, mostly because they are a bit scary. I watch them every day to make sure they are alive and well. Question: Will the Canadian geese in the midwest die from avaian flu or will they be carriers? I thought they would die off quickly.

Jane – at 11:39

Our Chicago WGN (which is also on some cable networks) had a brief story on the nightly news program (in last night’s Health segment) about how bird flu is mutating to make it more likely to infect humans, and that it’s resistant to antivirals, and there’s no vaccine. End of story and on to the next.

Hillbilly Bill – at 12:35

mj – at 01:02

The first billboard I saw nearly made me run off the road. It said:

PANDEMIC FLU Are You Ready?

At the bottom was a phone number for the County Health Dept. and the website pandemicflu.gov site.

Later I saw another that was less specific, but also made mention of Pandemic Flu. I am heartened that money is being spent to raise awareness, but deeply concerned by what that means.

Poppy – at 16:05

The cynic in me says this our government doing everythng it can to tell even the dumbest idiot out there to prepare so the when TSHTF and people are begging the government to take care of them they can say, “We told you to prepare for this pandemic because we knew it was coming. We put it on a big bilboard on route…., on the evening news, the internet, and in every newspaper we could get to print it. Sorry but no we couldn’t get enough Tamiflu for everyone in the country”

They are screaming at the ostriches to get their heads out of the sand.

30 September 2006

Desert Penguin – at 09:58

Update: I talked with the HOA and it turns out that they are working with the Arizona Game and Fish Department. They (AGFD) did crate up the ducks and geese and put up the signs. I’m looking forward to talking with the AGFD on Monday to see what info they have.

When I talked with the city, they were not ready. It seems they are in the talking about it stage and have no timeline for when any plan could get done. I was told that the city will pretty much shut down and that citizens will have to rely on themselves. It is not the city’s job to take care of people. I understand that, I just with they would at least inform Steve and Suzie Suburbanite to prepare. Their chief concern is how to make people stay on the job and deciding who has to stay on the job.

Poppy – at 22:35

Desert Penguin - Their response would sure make my PPF go up! The city may not be responsible for taking care of people but they should at least keep their citizens informed. At least you are already prepping.

01 October 2006

anonymous – at 08:37

Desert Penguin - I find this very disturbing. What did they do with the crated up birds? The City’s response is even more disturbing. I’d remind them that you pay their salary, that they work for you, and that it IS their job to take care of their citizens. I think I’d be attending the next city council meeting with as many of my neighbors and fellow citizens and addressing the issue. I’d make sure the media knew I was planning to address the issue too.

tjclaw1 – at 08:38

oops, that was me. My computer dumped my cookies again. Ugh.

04 October 2006

Cygnet – at 11:05

For what it’s worth, Arizona Game and Fish, in my experience, tends to be a fairly ‘on the ball’ beaurocracy. They’re probably just AWARE of the possibility of H5N1 and putting up signs to be proactive. Arizona has a very good track record of disease management in wildlife.

That, and ducks and geese+suburban lakes=big mess. Geese are aggressive and both ducks and geese are messy and cause problems with the water quality. A few scary signs just might keep people from feeding the birds … which are very likely to be released pets or the descendents of them and not wild ones, even if they have ‘wild type’ markings.

Salmonella IS a possibility.

The birds were probably euthanized. I’ve never asked exactly what they do with the carcasses — this probably depends on how likely they think disease actually is and the specific regulations at play.

05 October 2006

Desert Penguin – at 19:13

Finally, I got somewhere with my calls. AZGF did not put up the signs and they did not take waterfowl. Furthermore, according to the gentleman, the Bush Admin has given such a large amount of money that extensive testing has been done and there is no Avian Flu in North America. He also does not think it will get here this year. As far as a Pandemic Flu goes I got the standard only around 150 people have died from the Bird Flu as compared to the 30000 that die from the regular flu and x amount die in car accidents etc. He did not think there would be a Pandemic because the people in Asia are more intimate with their birds than we are in North America.

I don’t know much more than when I started this, except that my City is woefully unprepared.

Cygnet – at 21:11

Desert Penguin — I’m not sure who you spoke to, but I’m pretty sure that AZGF DOES cull feral domestic waterfowl. I suspect you got a clueless peon. Try again?

Like I said, AZGF is usually pretty ‘on the ball’ — though their receptionist may not be. I can tell you first hand that the higher placed people ARE aware of avian flu in AZGF. Also, there’s a federally funded state program that pays for avian flu testing in sick poultry/waterfowl. I’ve had to submit samples from my own flock when I had sick birds. (Turned out to be bad feed and not AI.)

As far as Phoenix — heh. Let’s just say I’m planning on riding this sucker out a couple hundred miles away.

Desert Penguin – at 22:34

Cygnet-That is why it took so long to get the info. I finally got to talk to THE guy. Not customer service, not a receptionist. He knew his stuff. In fact he called me back and reconfirmed that no other department had culled in our area. I’m leaning towards believing my HOA is clueless and doesn’t know what is going on. He suggested that they might have hired a company to do it.

I’m working to get my family out of Phoenix, let’s just say for now, I have distance envy. ;)

Ranchgirl – at 23:13

Hillbilly Bill – at 12:35 Can you get a good photo of that billboard? That would make a great intro to a brochure I’m finalizing for our Red Cross pandemic awareness seminars!!!

06 October 2006

Hillbilly Bill – at 08:36

Ranchgirl – at 23:13

I will try, it is on a busy access road to a big mall and there is not a place to pull of near it. I’ll see what I can do with a zoom lens.

mj – at 09:56

Hillbilly Bill – at 08:36

Would you tell us what city? If I’m passing thru on my travels I’d look for it. Make my son drive, so I could marvel and not drive off the road.

Hillbilly Bill – at 10:06

Morgantown WV. It is on the access road to the Morgantown Mall adjacent to the I-79 interchange at Westover. If you have Google Earth, search on Morgantown Mall, Morgantown, WV.

18 October 2006

crfullmoon – at 09:06

hey -I looked on flickr and saw some pretty photos of Morgantown, (and, some interesting protest signs), but, I haven’t found the one you describe. If some local on flickr does upload a photo of it, it can go in the flickr avian flu watch group photo pool

22 October 2006

mj – at 15:42

Well folks, I live in Indiana, and this place is not high on prepping. I was so excited on the 29th of Sept when I saw my town’s billboard. Last night I saw that it was gone. Up less thatn three weeks. Don’t worry, be happy. I’m not worried - I’m prepped (and getting more prepped as each week goes by) and I’m happy - same reason - I’m prepped. But the citizens … and their government…

24 October 2006

Cinda – at 09:44

In Sept while I was in VA, near Virgina beach, I saw a Red Cross BillBoard that said something like “ prepare for the unthinkable” At least it’s a start……..

Retrieved from http://www.fluwikie2.com/index.php?n=Forum.SignAtLake
Page last modified on October 24, 2006, at 11:51 AM