Iowa improves preparations for bioterror, bird flu

December 11, 2008

By TONY LEYS • tleys@... • December 9, 2008

Iowa has made big improvements in its preparations for possible

bioterror attacks or other public-health crises, a national group says.

For the past three years, the Trust for America's Health rated Iowa's

preparations at the bottom nationally. But the group's annual report,

released today, says Iowa is better prepared than most other states.

Overall, the group said the United States still has " major gaps " in

its ability to respond to such threats as avian flu and germs spread

by terrorists. The group also raised concerns about possible budget

cuts to public-health efforts.

" The economic crisis could result in a serious rollback of the

progress we've made since Sept. 11, 2001, and Hurricane Katrina to

better prepare the nation for emergencies, " the group's executive

director, Jeff Levi, said in a press release.

In the past, Iowa was faulted for an outdated and inadequate

public-health lab, which would be needed to track and fight

fast-spreading disease outbreaks. But the state is building a new lab

in Coralville.

Today's report says Iowa meets eight of 10 indicators checked by the

national group. Those indicators include that the state has adequate

plans to distribute emergency supplies of vaccines and other

medications; that it has legal protections for health-care volunteers

who serve during an emergency; that it has an updated

disease-surveillance system; and that has increased or maintained

money for public-health services.

The report says the state failed to meet two measures: It does not

have a " medical reserve corps coordinator, " and it was below the

national average in identifying germs that cause food-poisoning outbreaks.

More than half of states had scores of seven or fewer out of 10. Only

five – Louisiana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Virginia and

Wisconsin, met all 10 measures. The bottom six states – Arizona,

Connecticut, Florida, land, Montana and Nebraska – met five of the

10 measures.

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