North Andover Recognized with Website Award

Last week, the Town of North Andover was awarded the Massachusetts Municipal Association annual municipal website award for communities with a population of 25,001 to 35,000.  The award recognizes excellence in customer service, functionality, convenience and governmental transparency.

North Andover did a full website re-haul this year in order to make the website more user friendly.  The website committee was composed of Information Technology Director John Hyland, Technical Assistant Christine McElhiney, Social Media Coordinator/Constituent Services Sarah Brush and Select Board Chair Brian Roache.  

“We are very excited to have our website chosen this year for recognition,” said Brian Roache, Select Board Chair.  “Our team put a lot of effort into making certain that our website was transparent, clear and easy to navigate.”  

“Implementation of our artificial intelligence chatbot keeps our website on the cutting edge of municipal sites,” said John Hyland, IT Director.  “We have a commitment to making certain that residents and visitors are able to find the information they need quickly.”

“Through our use of transparency platforms like Cleargov and constituent service platforms like Report It, our IT team has made sure we have stayed on the cutting edge of technology to aid our residents,” said Melissa Rodrigues, Town Manager.  “The team very much deserved this recognition.”

AVIAN FLU INFORMATION AND PREVENTION TIPS

The Avian flu, also known as bird flu, has been in the news recently and has infected birds in Massachusetts.  The Avian Flu is caused by avian influenza A viruses that spread between wild birds and can infect domestic poultry, such as chickens and turkeys. The H5N1 causes occasional outbreaks in U.S. poultry and dairy livestock. Avian flu is very contagious among birds; however, it does not normally infect humans. When human infection occurs, it is most often the result of direct or close contact with infected birds or dairy cows.

Symptoms of avian flu in humans range from no symptoms or mild symptoms to severe symptoms. Mild symptoms include eye redness and irritation, mild fever (temperature of 100˚F or higher), cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, and fatigue. Moderate to severe symptoms include high fever, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, altered consciousness, and seizures. 

Those at highest risk for avian flu are people with job-related or recreational exposures to birds and other animals that can be infected with avian flu.

The best way to prevent avian flu is to avoid contact with sick or dead birds, poultry, or other animals whenever possible. If you must have direct or close contact with these animals, wear personal protective equipment (PPE).

Other ways to prevent bird flu include:

• Avoiding touching surfaces or materials contaminated with bodily fluids or feces from birds or other animals suspected or confirmed to have avian flu

• Avoiding consuming raw milk or raw milk products

• Cooking poultry, eggs, and beef to a safe internal temperature to kill off any bacteria or viruses. 

Additional Resources:

• MA DPH Informational Page on Avian Flu

• CDC Home Page on Avian Flu

• CDC Avian Flu Prevention Page

• CDC Bird Flu Informational Videos

• CDC Video on PPE

Yours in Health and Safety,

The North Andover Health Department