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The tools in this section will help you communicate during an outbreak of botulism. Coordinate all media contact with your assigned public information staff and follow your agency's emergency communications procedures.

News Releases. These news release templates contain areas to customize with information about:

• your location,
• details about the specific situation,
• locations of medication or treatment centers,
• updated case and fatality numbers,
• quotes from local officials or
• your contact information.

Important note: These are samples only. Do not use without updating for your specific agency. Some of these templates contain information about symptoms; check with your health officer or medical director to make sure they are accurate for the real-time situation.

News Release: Botulism confirmed
This news release template was designed to be used when botulism has been confirmed.

News Release: Medication centers established
This release is to be used to announce the establishment of medication centers that will distribute antibiotics.

News Release: Case/fatality update
This news release template was designed to be used each time the number of confirmed cases and number of fatalities is updated.

News Release: Additional medication centers
This news release template was designed to be used when additional medication centers are opened.

Fact sheets and talking points.

• Fact Sheet: Botulism
  Facts about botulism: how it spreads; its symptoms; prevention; treatment and descriptions of the types of botulism. A Word version of this fact sheet is available in Spanish. (Translations are also available in PDF format in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Russian and Vietnamese.)

• Additional information about botulism
  This is information you can incorporate into new releases, fact sheets and other materials you may produce during the emergency.

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Last Update : 07/21/2008 03:31 PM
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