08-12-2019 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Search

Anoka County 2019 Multi-Jurisdictional All Hazards Mitigation Plan 95 Anoka County and its municipalities have experienced illness and fatalities from pandemic/epidemic events, and the county is at risk of future events. The entire county would be equally impacted by pandemic/epidemic events. A detailed event lists of epidemics/pandemics that have impacted Anoka County in the past is provided in Appendix A. Animal and Vector-Based Hazards – One of the "emerging" threats to Minnesota and its citizens are vector-based threats - bacteria, insects and other animals that pose a direct or indirect hazard to humans, their food supply, or the state's economy. Vector-borne diseases diagnosed in Minnesota include: Western equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, Colorado tick fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lime Disease, tularemia, rabies, plague, and Hanta-Virus. Lyme disease is a potentially serious bacterial infection caused by the bite of an infected deer tick. The disease affects both humans and animals. The Minnesota Department of Health is monitoring the spread of the disease across the state and working with residents to limit exposure to the ticks causing the disease. In Minnesota, the area where Lyme disease is endemic is primarily the drainage basin of the St. Croix River. The ticks are endemic to Washington County along the St. Croix Valley, and to Chisago, Anoka, Pine, Mille Lacs, Crow Wing, Kanabec, and Atkin counties. As long as vectors are present in the state, the potential for recurring disease exists. Based on historical incidence, the vector- borne diseases to which the population is most vulnerable are St. Louis encephalitis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, tularemia and Hanta-Virus. The likelihood of Western equine encephalitis and St. Louis encephalitis infecting the population is greater in the high mountainous areas of the state. Colorado tick fever and Rocky Mountain spotted fever have been small problems in the state. The state should be considered vulnerable to future incidence of tick fever. Most, but not all cases of tularemia appear to be associated with ticks in the southeastern part of the state. Anoka County has had no reported cases of these diseases. While the probability of future events exists, the risk is low for all jurisdictions. Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a highly infectious and difficult to control disease of cloven- hoofed mammals including cattle, swine, wild sheep, goats, deer, and pigs. Should an outbreak