Two OH-5 team Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) were deployed to Virginia to assist in the avian flu outbreak response during July.  They are in direct assistance to the veterinarians in the field collecting daily culture samples from each of the farms in the valley.   We heard from VDACS press releases that they have received valuable biosecurity training as they had to learn to use disposable HAZMAT type clothing so as not to spread the disease from site to site and between samples. Our members served well.

Lorna, VMAT 4 region Administrative Officer put it like this:

"I would like to extend a BIG thank you to all the DMAT members who assisted our VMAT mission in Virginia from April to August 4, 2002.  Without the assistance of all the DMATs who deployed to Virginia, the success of the VMAT assistance to the VA/USDA Avian Influenza Task Force would have been severely compromised.
    The outbreak significantly impacted the Shenandoah Valley and the US, with nearly 5 million birds from approximately 197 Virginia poultry farms being destroyed from March through August 4, 2002, and at a cost of $140 million dollars to Virginia's poultry industry. The disease resulted in some countries, such as Mexico and Russia, banning the import of poultry and eggs from Virginia and other states with confirmed avian influenza cases."
   Without the DMAT assistance, VMAT could not have fulfilled the mission we were assigned to deliver, and we greatly appreciate the efforts of your team's members stepping up to help.

Referring to our own OH-5 personnel Lorna stated:

"I really liked both S and T.....  great to work with them and so very appreciative of them coming to help.  What an eye-opener for S on her first deployment!!!   "

Links:

Washington Post, June 28, 2002
Virginia Dept. of Agriculture