Churches, families urged to prepare for possible bird flu pandemic

Published: 2006-06-19

EXCELSIOR, Minn. (CNS) -- Why should churches care about bird flu? Because they are among the organizations that will be called upon to communicate information and serve as immunization or triage sites or temporary housing or health care sites, said a scientist who has studied the issue. The world is statistically overdue for a flu pandemic, said Bruce Johnson, chief strategist for Bioingenuity and chairman of the avian flu task force at Westwood Community Church in Excelsior. A former researcher with a major feed company, he holds a doctorate in animal science. Johnson spoke at a community preparedness forum on the bird flu at Westwood Community Church. The forum drew church staff members from St. Luke Catholic Church in St. Paul to St. Hubert Catholic Church in Chanhassen and elsewhere. A pandemic is a disease that starts locally and spreads worldwide. The bird flu -- known as the H5N1 virus -- has caused 128 human deaths as of June 6, according to World Health Organization reports.

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