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Anoka County 2019 Multi-Jurisdictional All Hazards Mitigation Plan 78 component of Asia. The CDC is preparing for a possible pandemic. Humans have no immunity to this new avian flu. Small Pox (variola major) was last seen in the US in 1949. The last naturally occurring case was in Somalia in 1977. Smallpox vaccination in the US ended in 1972 except for military personnel. When smallpox was considered eradicated worldwide, only two laboratories were designated to keep the virus. One lab was the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, and the other lab was in Russia. When the USSR break-up occurred, the location of Russia’s smallpox virus became unknown. It was widely thought that at least four other countries received part of the virus. Variola is classified as a biological weapon, included on the “A” list by the CDC. The virus can be transmitted from person to person, may result in high mortality rate (30%), and cause panic and social disruption. Variola has a moderate to high potential for large-scale dissemination and requires special action for public health preparedness and response. Hepatitis A Virus results from eating food or drinking water contaminated with human excrement. Outbreaks are associated with consumption of produce. Hepatitis A virus attacks the liver, is highly infectious, and can lead to varying degrees of illness, hospitalization and death. Emerging Pathogens: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) started in China in late 2002. The World Health Organization reported 29 countries were affected by the end of July 2003. There were 8,500 cumulative cases and 774 deaths. Health care workers accounted for 1,707 cases. In the United States, 29 cases were confirmed. SARS is closely associated with influenza and is of major concern to all public health officials. The Unity Campus of Mercy Hospital has been identified as one of four locations that would provide care for suspected Ebola cases in Minnesota. The plan provides the best opportunity to treat Ebola patients and ensures the state’s Level I trauma centers can continue to serve the region’s trauma care needs. In addition, the state would be in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about whether a patient should be transferred to one of the four federal biocontainment facilities. Emerging Pathogens: Monkey Pox Virus is an orthopoxvirus, which also includes cowpox and smallpox. It is a viral disease occurring in the rain forests of central and West Africa. Monkey pox is milder than smallpox. It was seen in the US June 14, 2003. It was introduced to this country by prairie dogs infected by Gambian rats imported by a distributor of exotic pets. By June 18, 2003, 87 persons in six states were confirmed with the virus. Animal and Vector-Based Hazards; One of the "new" or "emerging" series of threats to communities is vector- based threats - bacteria, insects, and animals, that pose a direct or indirect hazard to humans, their food supply, or the economy. Although many people don't consider Foot and Mouth Disease to be a "threat," an outbreak of the disease in Europe caused widespread concern over the safety of the meat supply, as well as the possibility of resulting infection of humans. Federal, state and local officials, including the emergency services community, have plans and procedures for handling incidents involving these threats.