Pandemic Flu Information
 

Dear Members of the Campus Community:

Welcome to the Kutztown University website for Pandemic Flu Information.

If you pay attention to media of any kind, you've surely learned something about avian influenza ("bird flu") and preparations for the possibility of a flu pandemic. Government websites, newspapers, morning and evening news shows, scientific journals, even TV drama reflect a growing awareness and concern about the spread of avian influenza among birds and the potential threat to people.

Currently, there is no pandemic influenza in the U.S. or the world.  The H5N1 strain of the avian influenza virus has some properties that make scientists believe it could cause the next pandemic.  Scientists believe that the virus could mutate and become easily transmissible from person to person causing a pandemic.  No one knows whether the current epidemic of avian flu (H5N1) will develop into a human flu pandemic, or under what circumstances. However, history does teach us that we should expect a global flu pandemic at some point and must prepare for it .

Kutztown University is developing comprehensive plans for protecting the safety and well-being of our students, staff and faculty. A "Pandemic Influenza Assessment Team" is providing overall guidance, engaging departments across campus in the development of specific plans for the protection of this community.

Critical to our preparations for and effective response in any emergency, and certainly this one, is having a well-informed, well-prepared community. We hope the members of the Kutztown community will use these resources to learn about avian and pandemic flu, develop individual and community emergency plans, and participate in the planning that will help us take care of one another in such a crisis, whenever it strikes.

Rest assured that we are taking proactive measures to be prepared in case the avian flu affects our campus community.

Sincerely,

Mary Gutekunst
Executive Director University Health Services

Stephen Helms
Director Environmental Health and Safety