City to reveal pandemic flu preparations

Thousands of residents received a booklet on how to prepare for such an occurrence in recent weeks. It advised having canned food, bottled water, batteries, radios and other supplies in case an outbreak disrupts city services and confines people to their homes.

Alexandria is one of many localities across the country readying itself for an outbreak of pandemic flu. History shows that an outbreak can be expected, said John Clizbe, emergency planner for the city’s health department. He pointed to the Asian flu epidemics of the 1950s and 1960s, which were not nearly as serious as the outbreak of Spanish flu in 1918.

“In a global sense, pandemics happen,” Clizbe said. “There were three in the 20th century. There’s a distinct possibility another one could happen at some point.”

There are three ingredients to a pandemic flu outbreak, Clizbe said: a novel flu virus people aren’t immune to, a particularly lethal flu strain and the a virus that is easily transmitted among people.

So far, bird flu has not proved easily communicable, Clizbe said, but it has increased the urgency of flu planning. Alexandria’s plans are designed to cover all aspects of a massive flu outbreak: Prioritizing essential city employees and services, managing crowds of people, keeping hospital beds available, communicating with residents, quarantining the ill and mortuary issues. The plans are still in draft form, Clizbe said.

The forum will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Hammond Middle School auditorium, 4646 Seminary Road. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/flu.