Columbia University Pandemic Flu Response

Travel Recommendations

The following recommendations are from the Outbreak Notice posted by the Centers For Disease Control.

Before travel outside the United States, follow these routine precautions. This applies equally well to areas affected by avian influenza (the H5N1 virus):

• Visit CDC's Travelers’ Health Website to learn about any disease risks and CDC health recommendations for international travel in areas.
• Be sure to be up-to-date with routine vaccinations, including seasonal influenza vaccine, and see a healthcare provider 4–6 weeks before travel to get any additionally recommended vaccinations, medications or information.
• Assemble a travel health kit containing basic first aid and medical supplies. Be sure to include a thermometer and alcohol-based hand gel such as Purell containing at least 60% alcohol for hand hygiene. See Travelers’ Health Kit in Health Information for International Travel for other suggested items.
• Identify in-country healthcare resources in advance of travel.
• Check health insurance plan information and/or obtain additional insurance that covers medical evacuation in case of illness. Information about medical evacuation services is provided on the U.S. Department of State web page, Medical Information for Americans Traveling Abroad.
• Review evacuation and medical care benefits through International SOS. These benefits are available to all faculty, staff and students traveling overseas on University-sponsored programs.

During travel to an avian influenza (H5N1) affected area:

• Avoid all direct contact with birds, including domestic poultry (such as chickens and ducks) and wild birds.
• Avoid places such as poultry farms and bird markets where live birds are raised or kept.
• Avoid touching surfaces that may be contaminated with poultry feces or secretions.
• As with other infectious illnesses, one of the most important preventive practices is careful and frequent handwashing. Cleaning hands often with soap and water removes potentially infectious material from the skin and helps prevent disease transmission. Waterless alcohol-based hand gels such as Purell containing at least 60% alcohol may be used when soap is not available.
• All foods from poultry, including eggs and poultry blood, should be cooked thoroughly. Egg yolks should not be runny or liquid. Because influenza viruses are destroyed by heat, the cooking temperature for poultry meat should be a minimum of 165°F (74°C). This should be measured with a meat thermometer.
  
• If you become sick with symptoms such as a fever plus a cough, sore throat or have trouble breathing, or if you develop any illness that requires prompt medical attention, a U.S. consular officer can assist you in locating medical services and informing your family or friends. Inform the healthcare provider of any possible exposures to avian influenza, such as exposures to ill or dead birds. See Seeking Health Care Abroad in Health Information for International Travel for more information about what to do if you become ill while abroad. You should defer further travel until you are free of symptoms, unless traveling locally for medical care.
  • To help stop the spread of germs:
    • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze
    • If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands
    • Put your used tissue in the waste basket
    • Clean your hands after coughing or sneezing by washing them with soap and water (or by using an alcohol-based hand cleaner with at least 60% alcohol when soap and water are not available)
    • You may be asked to put on a surgical mask to protect others

Note: Some countries have instituted health monitoring techniques, such as body-temperature screenings, at ports of entry for travelers arriving from areas affected by the H5N1 virus. For more information when traveling in other countries, consult the embassy or consulate.

After your return from an H5N1-affected area:

• Closely monitor your health for 10 days.
• If you become ill with a fever plus a cough, sore throat or have trouble breathing during this 10-day period, consult a healthcare provider. Before you visit a healthcare setting, tell the provider the following: 1) your symptoms, 2) where you traveled and 3) if you have had direct contact with poultry or close contact with a severely ill person. This way, the healthcare provider can be aware that you have traveled to an area reporting H5N1.
• Do not travel while ill, unless you are seeking local medical care. Limiting contact with others as much as possible can help prevent the spread of an infectious illness like flu.