Joint Committee Committee on Joint Select Committee on Homeland Security (03/13/2006)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

COMMITTEE ON JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY

Date:	03/13/2006	ATTENDANCE

Time:	12:09 PM to 01:33 PM	Balmer	X
		Benefield	*
Place:	SCR 354	Hagedorn	*
		Isgar	*
This Meeting was called to order by		McKinley	*
	Senator Grossman	Spence	X
		Stengel	X
This Report was prepared by		Teck	X
	Jessika Shipley	Carroll T.	X
		Grossman	X
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
Avian Influenza Presentation		-

12:10 PM

Dr. Barbara Powers, Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL), spoke about avian influenza. Dr. Powers distributed a pamphlet to the committee about her lab (Attachment A). She explained the work done by VDL and talked about the federal funding she receives. She discussed the various diseases for which VDL does surveillance, including avian influenza, scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalitis, chronic wasting disease, and foot and mouth disease. Dr. Powers talked about the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, which coordinates local, state, and federal animal testing efforts.

12:15 PM

Dr. Kristy Pabilonia, Avian Disease Surveillance Program, discussed cross-species contamination. Dr. Pabilonia provided the committee with a hard copy of her PowerPoint presentation (Attachment B). She stated that the disease has been transmitted directly from birds to humans in isolated instances. Migratory water fowl are considered the native host of the disease because they move around the world, spreading the disease. She explained the difference between low pathogenic avian influenza and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and talked about the social and economic consequences of each. Dr. Pabilonia cited several statistics of the numbers of HPAI outbreaks reported worldwide since 1955. She stated that three major influenza pandemics of the last century began as avian flu viruses and mutated.

12:28 PM

Dr. Pabilonia continued discussing the global spread of HPAI. The disease is most prevalent in Asia, but international transport of infected animals has caused it to spread to Africa and Europe, as well.

12:36 PM

Dr. Pabilonia spoke about testing domestic birds in Colorado for avian influenza. She mentioned the Colorado Avian Influenza Surveillance and Education Task Force, which is a cooperative effort between CSU, CDPHE, Colorado Department of Agriculture, Colorado Division of Wildlife, and regional offices of the USDA and US Fish and Wildlife Service. Dr. Pabilonia discussed the testing methodology for avian influenza.

12:45 PM

Dr. Keith Roehr, Colorado Department of Agriculture, spoke about the Department of Agriculture response to avian influenza. Dr. Roehr discussed the fact that avian influenza is a bird disease, not a human disease. He talked about the possibility of it mutating into a human to human virus. He remarked on

12:52 PM

Dr. Ned Calonge, Chief Medical Officer of Colorado, spoke about the possibility of a pandemic outbreak and preparedness in Colorado. Dr. Calonge stated that pandemic flu and avian flu are not synonymous. He talked about the Spanish flu pandemic in the early part of the 20th century, the Asian flu of the 1950s, and the Hong Kong flu of the late 1960s. Each of those began as bird influenzas. He set out the phases of pandemic flu with the current bird flu from a Colorado perspective. First, avian flu would spread to birds in the continental United States. Next, avian flu would spread to birds in Colorado. The next step is a human avian flu case in the continental United States... Dr. Calonge discussed the range of impact for previous pandemics. He responded to questions from the committee regarding the reasons that this strain of avian influenza is so much more concerning than other strains. The committee also asked questions about the federal laws against importing birds from other countries and the Colorado response to the possibility of this strain mutating into a human to human virus.

01:09 PM

Dr. Calonge discussed vaccine production in the United States. He talked about the possible extremes for Colorado in terms of dealing with a pandemic. He moved on to discuss the elements of the federal preparedness plan for handling a pandemic, emphasizing infrastructure issues. Dr. Calonge talked about the Colorado pandemic flu plan, including planning and exercises, surveillance and detection, and planning scope. He also discussed isolation, quarantine, and travel restrictions in the event of a pandemic. He then mentioned issues of medical readiness.

01:33 PM

Senator Grossman adjourned the committee.