Bird Flu Kits and Other Emergency Disaster Supplies Everyone Should Own

Bird flu outbreaks have occurred around the world. While it is still unknown whether bird flu will ever strike the human population in the United States, the chance of any flu epidemic or other disaster --local or national-- is still present. No one wants to think about these disasters striking, but your chances of going through some form of natural disaster may be higher than you think. In a land with hurricanes, tornadoes, fires and floods, it is best to be prepared.

There are items that can prove very valuable during any disaster situation, including special items for flu epidemics. I will focus on the main items that are good for any disaster as well as the items specifically geared towards bird flu epidemics or other epidemics.

Some of the items are well known and sold in disaster preparedness kits. Others I have added because they are also useful to have on hand but typically are not part of a disaster preparedness kit.

What you should have on hand:

You should have sturdy, comfortable shoes. After a disaster, you may have to do a lot of walking and the conditions of the area may be hazardous (chemicals, biohazards, nails, boards, other debris). A good pair of shoes may prove extraordinarily valuable during and after a disaster. Shoes should have thick non-skid soles, be rugged enough for the weather in your region, and should fit comfortably.

You should have a CPR mask. These are masks designed especially for CPR. Some have a valve that fits in the patient's mouth and allows breath to go in but keeps contaminants out--provides a barrier against biohazards. Size and design varied. Some are designed to fit on a keychain.

You should have a flashlight. Batteries die-- I recommend a solar powered flashlight or a manually powered flashlight as a backup to battery-powered flashlights.

You should have N-95 masks. The U.S. Center for Disease Control recommends N-95 respirator facemasks for use, especially during a flu epidemic (including bird flu). You can find these masks online for around $30 for 20 masks.

You should have plastic sheeting.

Government agencies sell special plastic sheeting that is designed to keep out bird flu and other pathogens. Many good pre-made disaster kits will contain sheeting.

You should have sanitary wipes and plenty of hand sanitizer. Most grocery stores sell inexpensive hand sanitizer. During a flu epidemic--whether or not it is bird flu-- sanitizers are a must.

You should have a good first aid kit. A good first aid kit will not contain only adhesive bandages and alcohol pads.

Spend a little extra and get one with gauze and surgical tape. Alternatively, you can create your own according to your needs.

You should have a pamphlet on first aid. It is better to have a good grasp of basic first aid before a disaster strikes. However, a pamphlet comes with many first aid kits and can be useful when you need to be reminded of techniques during an emergency. The CDC and other agencies have bird flu information guides that would be helpful to read--preferably in advance of a bird flu epidemic.

You should have water purification tablets. These are readily available online for $4.95 per box of 50 tablets.

You should have food bars. These are high calorie bars made for survival. I have never tried one and, they do not look very appetizing but if a disaster strikes, it is best to have something like this on hand. They are not cheap--a 2400-calorie bar sells for as much as $3.50-- but they are good to have on hand. You will need as many calories as you can get to cope with a stressful disaster situation.

You should have containers for water. Water containers come with many disaster kits. Prepackaged water for disasters is also available.

The Red Cross sells personal disaster kits from $39.95 to $64.95

Family size kits are also available. Kits come with flashlights, first aid supplies, food bars, water carriers, radios, and more.

Other companies also sell disaster kits in various sizes and styles. Some kits are packaged in buckets that are designed to be used as emergency toilets. There are links accompanying this article that will take you to websites selling disaster kits.

If you have pets, you should have a pet first aid kit and extra pet food in your disaster kit.

There are many other helpful items you may wish to have on hand in case of a disaster. I have covered the basics here, however, and I hope this will give you good ideas of things to assemble for your disaster preparedness kit.