Third avian flu forum being held tonight, series concludes this week

Employees forums on avian influenza Monday, Nov. 13 — 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Storz Pavilion Room 1 and 2 Tuesday, Nov. 14 — 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Eppley Science Hall Amphitheater Wednesday, Nov. 15 — 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Storz Pavilion, rooms 1 and 2 NOTE: Nightshift employees should attend late night or early morning forums.

The third of five forums on avian flu will be held in Storz Pavilion, room 1, tonight at 10:30 p.m.

The final three forums in the series will be held this week.

Presentations will include information about what avian flu is, how it spreads, the difference between avian and pandemic flu, how Americans could be affected, the status of the disease around the world, and steps you and your family can take to be prepared at home.

Forums will be presented by Sharon Medcalf of the Center for Biopreparedness Education. Steven Hinrichs, M.D., director of the UNMC Nebraska Center for Biosecurity and UNMC professor of pathology and microbiology, will speak at tonight’s forum. Light refreshments will be served at each forum.

If you can’t attend a forum, which run about an hour each, video of the forum is archived and available on the Web at www.unmc.edu/avianflu. A 16-week Household Stockpiling Tool — which can help in home preparations for a pandemic — will be available at the forums and on the Web site.