Here is an article ripe for plucking bad risk communication.
(Culling would have been better, but the article is already published, so plucking and labeling is probably the best we can do.)
Untrue rumors surround bird flu By Jim Crawford University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agent
Oy. Why do people think that readers are so incapable of nuance?
It’s almost always spread by direct contact, except when it’s not - for now. But the difference between ‘now’ and ‘what could happen’ seems misunderstood or misplayed by the author.
Cook your chicken and eat your eggs. But learn what pandemic means and how to prepare for a low porobabilty high impact situation (with rising probability over time for a pandemic from some strain of influenza A) without overdoing the hype. Why is that so hard?
Lies like a rug. Into the doghouse with him.
(Didn’t have any nuances with my coffee this morning.)
Jim Crawford : texdawg@uga.edu
http://uosp.uga.edu/page/pdfImage.asp
“Knowledge Saves Lives”, Jim!
So out of date and incorrect: UGA bird flu FAQ …”Sustained human to human spread of the H5N1 virus has not occurred. All human cases of H5N1 infections have been restricted to Asia.”…
(Stop reassurring readers about buying Georgia’s chicken and remind them of this:)
…”An inhome hospital care plan is in under development. This plan will limit the opportunity for spread of a pandemic virus among persons seeking health care.” …
(If sustained human to human spread had occurred we’d know it, because we’d be hip-deep in a pandemic influenza year!)
(I hate when they say that; makes public think if pandemic had started they wouldn’t know without reading a FAQ page on a website, because, “it will take months to ramp up and get here” - oh wait; that’s because people like our “health” honcho tells lies like that.)
USDA Risk Manangement Agency website search
didn’t turn up any entries for H5N1
- I almost choked on a pretzel!
Must be some other part of the USDA -hm-
guess USDA doesn’t concern itself with H5N1 in people; after all, what do food production and consumption have to do with that?
USDA Key Messages for Avian Influenza (poultry, birds, poultry)
Oh, and; …”APHIS is taking appropriate measures to safeguard against, plan for, and, if necessary, respond to an outbreak of HPAI (H5N1) in the United States. These efforts not only protect the health and value of the U.S. poultry industry from HPAI but also reduce the risk of a potential human health emergency in the United States”… O.K.
the Georgia Poultry Federation wants you to know the truth about avian influenza (Oh, I bet they do, sure, Jim!)
Maybe it was a typo? “Untrue rumors” written” By”?
…”the U.S. doesn’t import any chicken, turkey or other poultry products from Asia. The fresh poultry you see in grocery A Great Place stores is produced in the U.S., except for a very small amount produced in Canada. “… (Thanks, Tom DVM; I will never read that quite the same way again!)
…”H5N1 HPAI highly pathogenic avian influenza. We have never had this strain in the United States and do not have it now.”…
But Jim, I think your public would like to know CIDRAP: …”part of an effort by the USDA and the Department of Interior to test wild birds throughout the United States for the deadly H5N1 avian flu.
Previous tests on birds from Michigan, Maryland, and Pennsylvania have been positive only for the low pathogenic “North American” strain of H5N1”
(the ones scientist don’t really understand; how the “low-path” strains of H5N1 - that H5N1 is so pesky; it gets in so many mammal species- tsk, tsk- mutate or change to become “high-path” strains of H5N1…?)
Jan.2006 …”“Pandemics are global in nature but their effects are always local, so I am pleased that Governor Perdue is taking a leadership role to prepare Georgia for this threat,” Secretary Leavitt said.
“Pandemic planning needs to address how schools, businesses, public agencies, faith-based organizations and others participate in pandemic preparedness. With this meeting, local officials can identify needs specific to Georgia communities and begin crucial coordination to assure readiness if a pandemic outbreak strikes.”
“Of all the many hazards we face, a pandemic has the unique potential to disrupt our lives, our health care system and our economy,” said Governor Sonny Perdue.”…
…”Georgia agrees to assure that its operational plan for pandemic influenza response is an integral element of the overall state and local emergency response plan
and to establish a Pandemic Preparedness Coordinating Committee representing all relevant stakeholders.”…