Scenario 1

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)

Risk Communicator Trainingfor Foreign Animal & Zoonotic Disease

Defense

Developed by

Susan Gale, DVMCenter for Animal Health and Food SafetyCollege of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Minnesota

In cooperation with

Risk Communication Project

Purpose of Scenario

• Apply Risk Communication principles introduced in the training module to a fictional event involving Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

• Apply knowledge of zoonotic and foreign animal disease outbreaks to craft appropriate messages

• Create risk and crisis communication response strategies from the perspective of key players

Scene 1

August 30, 2009

Live Bird Market

Anytown, USA

Chickens Go to Market

• Farm A raises free-range chickens

• These chickens are sold through a local Live Bird Market

Live Bird Markets

• Live Bird Markets sell poultry to the public and butcher the birds

• Final dressing is done by the customer

• Live Bird Markets are exempt from inspection by State or Federal authorities because the customer is having an animal that they own butchered

Chickens Grouped Together

• Chickens from all vendor farms are put together in one pen

• Customers select which chickens they want to buy and have butchered

Detection: Initial Signs of Disease

• Live Bird Market– Sudden death of several birds in holding pen

• Bird market owner tosses dead birds into uncovered outside carcass bin

Detection: Initial Signs of Disease

HUMAN CASE• Chicken slaughter worker becomes ill and is

hospitalized

• Influenza testing shows ill worker is infected with HPAI H5N1 virus

• With supportive medical care, the ill worker recovers

H5N1 Virus

Facts about HPAI in Birds

• Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is out of the family ornothmyxviridae. It is a Type A influenza virus.

• HPAI is highly contagious among birds, especially domesticated poultry like chickens, ducks and turkeys

• Mortality rates from HPAI infection in poultry can reach 90-100% in 48 hours

Facts about HPAI in People

• HPAI transmission from birds to humans occurs occasionally, the highest risk is to people who are in direct contact with infected birds

• Up to 60 % of humans infected with HPAI virus have died

• Human to Human spread is rare

• Main concern is virus mutation which could make HPAI more virulent in humans

Outbreak Response

• State Veterinarian investigates Live Bird Market as source of infection and tests chickens, holding pens and slaughter facility

• Samples are sent to specialized government laboratories for testing

• Results won’t be known for 2-3 days

Risk Communication Part 1

• A Live Bird Market employee has been diagnosed with Influenza H5N1 virus and an investigation is ongoing

• Consider your role as a Risk Communicator in this scenario.

• Who is your audience? What sources of information do they have access to?

• How do you address the time of uncertainty while awaiting test results?

Players Actions Message

State Board of Health Announce H5N1 virus found in human patient

State Veterinarian Investigate source of H5N1 virus

Live Bird Market Owner Cooperate with investigation

Local health professionals, DVMs, MDs

Gather information on outbreak from reliable sources

Risk Communicators

Outbreak Response

• Area Veterinarian in Charge (AVIC) traces Live Bird Market chicken suppliers to five different farms

• Farm A has been experiencing sick chickens for ten days, some have died

• Chickens on Farm A and 5 nearby production flocks test positive for H5N1

Risk Communication Part 2

• A Live Bird Market employee was ill with H5N1 Influenza that has been traced to a local farm and an outbreak is detected

• What potential consequences can you imagine might result from this outbreak?

• What questions can you anticipate from your audience?

• How can you reduce the fear or outrage response to this outbreak?

Players Actions Message

Area Veterinarian in Charge Report investigation findings

Board of Health spokesperson

Assure public of low risk of spread among people

Poultry industry spokesperson

Assure public that chicken is safe to eat

Local health professionals, DVMs, MDs

Answer questions posed by the public

Risk Communicators

Anticipating Questions

Public:• Can I get sick from eating chicken or eggs?

Agriculture producers:• Are my animals safe?• How can I insure that I’m not bringing the virus

back to my farm?

Media:• How soon will you have the outbreak

contained?

Recovery

• Eradication efforts contain the outbreak to a five county area. Time from detection to control is three months

• 1.3 million chickens are destroyed as a result of H5N1 outbreak

• No other human H5N1 cases are found

Risk Communication Part 3

• What is your role as a Risk Communicator once the outbreak has been contained?

• How would your message change?

• How might you be better prepared for the next outbreak event?

10 Best Practices in Risk Communication

1. Risk and crisis communication is an ongoing process

2. Conduct pre-event (pre-crisis) planning

3. Foster partnerships with public

4. Listen to public’s concern & understand audience

5. Demonstrate honesty, candor & openness

6. Collaborate and coordinate with credible sources

7. Meet the needs of the media and remain accessible

8. Communicate with compassion, concern & empathy

9. Accept uncertainty and ambiguity

10. Give people useful actions to do -- must do, should do, could do