Yukon Kuskokwim Nushagak science

If anyone wants to work on solid waste issues, let me know in the comments box and I can start a new section here at YKAlaska.uniblogs.org

Otherwise, I’ve been placing materials here that might be of use —

• Rural SWMP Solid Waste Management Planning

Planning in addition to the Manuals suggested here — Manuals Available to Assist Communities with Solid Waste Planning and Education

http://tinyurl.com/ggg9o

Eskimo Troops Brace for Iraq
Alaskan Guard units are called up for the first time in decades. Villages worry about losing men.
By Sam Howe Verhovek, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

June 5, 2006
KONGIGANAK, Alaska

….In this village of 386 people, six men have been notified to report for duty next month. ..The call-up in the marshy delta country to the west reaches villages so remote that there are only two ways to get here most of the year — by airplane or snowmobile — and a third from May to September, or perhaps October in a warm year with a late freeze-up: the river.

So in places with Eskimo names such as Kongiganak, Kwigillingok and Manokotak, elder leaders and wives find themselves planning how to carry on without strong young men who serve as vital providers of food….

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I did some calculations to see what numerical impact (and ultimately biocultural impact) the call-up will have.
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I was hoping for additional information guides for local businesses to use in their preparations. I thought the Mentoring Initiative from Ready.GOV (Homeland Security, home of FEMA) would be useful.

Designed as a call-to-action for business leaders, the Ready Campaign has created Ready Business Mentoring Initiative. This new initiative is designed to help owners and managers of small and medium-sized businesses prepare for emergencies.

http://www.ready.gov/business/mentor/index.htm

Here is the entire text of the (on-line in pdf format) Business Emergency Supply Checklist -
http://www.ready.gov/business/_downloads/emergency_supplies.pdf

Emergency Supplies
Talk to your co-workers about what emergency supplies the company can feasibly provide, if any, and which ones individuals should consider keeping on hand. Recommended emergency supplies include the following:

• Water, amounts for portable kits will vary. Individuals should determine what amount they are able to both store comfortably and to transport to other locations. If it is feasible, store one gallon of water per person per day, for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First Aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust or filter masks, readily available in hardware stores, which are rated based on how small a particle they filter
• Moist towelettes for sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
• Plastic sheeting and duct tape to “seal the room”
• Garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Emergency Supplies

Those of you who believe in always getting ready can explain the errors in the above to those awaiting further instructions from the governments, schools, churches, health corp. (about whether and what to do in emergencies).

[another source of business planning is from FluWickie

http://www.fluwikie.com/pmwiki.php?n=Consequences.WorkplaceContinuity

In early March 2006 the Federal agencies announced their bird sampling activity for the summer. An immediate question from the communities here was—what to do with dead birds? (If the birds are dead from a highly pathogenic virus, no one wants to leave them on the tundra, right?) The BrdFlu Hotline did not then have an answer, except that the carcasses should be disposed of. “Do you mean fling them away?” (We are off the road system. There are no sanitary landfills. Dead birds will be found away from Villages and who wants to bring them home to throw in the dump?) The hot line was going to get back to me with a consensus.

In the meantime, down below is what other areas have suggested. These suggestions (double- bagging) are mostly for areas with few occurrences of multiple dead birds and with access to landfills. The state of Alaska suggestions are for poultry farms. I still don’t know enough to provide suggestions. Here are some things to consider (keep in mind the idea is to lessen risk)—
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http://www.deltadiscovery.com

Letters to the Editor
4/11/06

Should we be concerned about Avian Flu?

The Avian Flu is a flue that spreads fast. Should we be concerned? We don’t know if it’s coming or not, so what should we do? Should we be prepared or just ignore it and maybe it will stay away. What if it comes and kills a lot of our people, we’ll wish we were prepared. We’ll never know when or if it will, it could be tomorrow or next year or never, but it think we should stock up on food, water, stove oil and other supplies we need. We’ll use and need them whether the flu comes or not so why not be safe, ‘cause we don’t want to be sorry. Some ways to be safe are not to touch any dead birds, cook your birds thoroughly, never touch anything after touching birds, and wash your hands after touching birds.

Andy Atti, Jenna Fox, Brenda Dock
Kipnuk High School
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Previous questions are here

http://ykalaska.uniblogs.org/2006/03/19/tips-avoid-bird-flu/

and A Few Facts about Avian Influenza in Alaska -

http://ykalaska.uniblogs.org/2006/03/21/ a-few-facts-about-avian-influenza-in-alaska/

For other sources for Questions and Answers

http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/subjects/en/ health/diseases-cards/avian_qa.html

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I don’t yet have these as a listing of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), mostly because I am not sure what is frequently asked. However, here are some questions that the YKHC Office of Environmental Health has received. I will link to sources of answers as I get them organized. Feel free to continue asking questions below as comments or to provide answers to these questions, as comments.

How do you know if birds have bird flu?

YKHC: You don’t. Unlike human’s it is nearly impossible to tell if a bird is sick with the flu.

Avian influenza is quite common in birds and often occurs without symptoms or without making the birds sickly. Like other diseases,

The clinical signs are very variable and are influenced by factors such as the virulence of the infecting virus, species affected, age, sex, concurrent diseases and environment. See

http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/subjects/en/health/ diseases-cards/avian.html

If a bird looks skinny & not normal, what do you do? Does it have bird flu?

YKHC: No. It most likely is suffering from something else.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you see a group of dead or sick birds, especially if something you notice seems unusual, call 1-866-5-BRDFLU, (1-866-527-3358).

For other items–
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