Director Raymond E. Sullivan, M.D. 
healthdept@middlebury-ct.org
Assistant Director: Maurice Falk, M.D.  
healthdept@middlebury-ct.org
Phone: 203-577-4011   Fax: 598-7640
Hours: 9am-12pm

Blood Pressure screening at Shepardson Community Center every Tuesday from 10:00 AM- 12:00 PM.

PANDEMIC – AVIAN FLU

      Don’t get fooled by the lack of press of late regarding the Avian Flu (commonly called “bird flu”).  It still exists in Asia and Europe and continues to have the capacity to become a pandemic.  This means that the disease is capable of becoming a global issue.  So far, it is still confined to birds and other fowl, and affects humans only when they are in contact with one of these infected animals.  The spread of the virus from person to person has not yet occurred, but perhaps with more time, that could happen as well.  Viruses are known to mutate, that is, change their properties to further their existence.
      Health Departments all over the country remain aware of this potential problem and are taking steps to deal with it if and when it arrives on our shores.   Our State Department of Health continues to monitor the situation.   Here, in Middlebury, we are just as vigilant.  We formulated a Pandemic Flu Plan which contains all the material needed to keep our population as healthy as possible should that situation arise.  In case of overcrowding of local hospital emergency rooms, we have designated the sports complex at Westover School as an alternate care site.  This area can care for people who are not sick enough for hospitalization, but too ill to stay at home.  This facility can also be used as a triage center where our physicians and nurses can route a person to his or her appropriate level of care.
      We hope that all this preparation will not be necessary, but we also hope that you derive some comfort in knowing that preparations are being made just in case.