Avian Flu Information for Wheaton Students Overseas
The Center for Global Education is concerned with the safety and well-being of Wheaton students that study overseas. As a result, the Center for Global Education has developed a Crisis Response Plan in collaboration with professionals across the campus as part of an International Crisis Response Team. The Center continues to monitor the Avian Flu Pandemic and provides the information below in order to provide students and families with important updates.
If you should have any questions or concerns before, during, or after your study abroad experience, do not hesitate to contact the Center for Global Education at 508-286-4950.
We wish you a safe and healthy study abroad experience!
Staff of the Center For Global Education
Wheaton College
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) continue to carefully monitor avian flu. Currently, there is not a pandemic of influenza of any type, and neither health organization has issued a travel warning with regard to avian flu. The Center for Global Education and the International Crisis Response Team is advised by the information presented by the Center for Disease Control and World Health Organization guidelines.
Information About Avian Flu
What is avian flu?
Avian Influenza, also known as H5N1 and bird flu, is a potential concern due to outbreaks originating in Asia. Avian flu is an infectious disease caused by viruses that infect birds, and less commonly, pigs. It is present in the droppings of birds, especially chickens. Sporadic human cases have occurred after direct contact with poultry. The risk to travelers is small, but it is important to avoid poultry farms and live animal markets. Well-cooked chicken is safe to eat.
What is the difference between Avian Flu, Seasonal Flu and Pandemic Flu?
Avian influenza is an infection caused by bird flu viruses. Avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses usually affect wild birds but now are infecting and causing serious and widespread disease among poultry, such as chickens, mostly in Southeast Asia and parts of Eastern Europe. Human infections with H5N1 viruses are rare, but have occurred during the last three years in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, and China, with many cases resulting in death. Most cases of H5N1 infection in humans are thought to have occurred from direct contact with infected poultry in the affected countries in Asia. There have also been rare, isolated cases of spread from human to human.
Seasonal influenza (often called 'the flu') is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. Seasonal flu occurs every year and can cause mild to severe illness in people. The best protection against seasonal flu is vaccination, and hand washing.
An influenza pandemic would be a global outbreak of disease that occurs when a new 'influenza A' virus appears or emerges in the human population, causes serious illness in people, and then spreads easily from person to person worldwide. Currently, there is not a pandemic of influenza of any type. There is no pandemic of avian flu since widespread human to human spread of avian influenza has not occurred.
How is avian flu treated?
There are several different influenza antiviral drugs that can be used to treat pneumonia caused by the avian flu. They are amantadine, rimantadine, oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza). All four of the drugs have an effect on influenza A viruses, but some of the strains have become resistant to these drugs. There currently is no commercially available vaccine to protect humans against the H5N1 virus that has been seen in Asia and Europe.
Does CDC recommend travel restrictions to areas with known H5N1 outbreaks?
CDC does not recommend any travel restrictions to affected countries at this time. However, CDC currently advises that travelers to countries with known outbreaks of H5N1 influenza avoid poultry farms, contact with animals in live food markets, and any surfaces that appear to be contaminated with feces from poultry or other animals.
Resources available on Avian Flu
Center for Disease Control
http://www.cdc.gov
CDC Information for Travelers
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/other/avian_influenza_se_asia_2005.htm
CDC Recommendations by Destination
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/destinat.htm
World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/index.html
Travel Suggestions
Listed below are recommendations from the CDC Website.
The CDC has not recommended that the general public avoid travel to any of the countries affected by H5N1. Persons visiting areas with reports of outbreaks of H5N1 among poultry or of human H5N1 cases can reduce their risk of infection by observing the following measures:
Before any international travel to an area affected by H5N1 avian influenza:
Visit CDC's Travelers Health website at http://www.cdc.gov/travel to educate yourself and others who may be traveling with you about any disease risks and CDC health recommendations for international travel in areas you plan to visit. For other information about avian influenza, see CDC's Avian Influenza website: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/index.htm.
Be sure you are up to date with all your routine vaccinations, and see your doctor or health-care provider, ideally 4-6 weeks before travel, to get any additional vaccination medications or information you may need.
Assemble a travel health kit containing basic first aid and medical supplies. Be sure to include a thermometer and alcohol-based hand gel for hand hygiene. See the Travelers Health Kit page in 'Health Information for International Travel' for other suggested items.
You may want to identify in-country health-care resources in advance of your trip.
Identify in-country health-care resources in advance of your trip.
Check your health insurance plan or get additional insurance that covers medical evacuation in case you become sick. Information about medical evacuation services is provided on the U.S. Department of State web page Medical Information for Americans Traveling Abroad, at http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/health/health_1185.html
(Wheaton students under Wheaton's Insurance(Koster) or with the CISI Supplemental overseas coverage will have medical evacuation services provided.)
During travel to an affected area:
Avoid all direct contact with poultry, including touching well-appearing, sick, or dead chickens and ducks. Avoid places such as poultry farms and bird markets where live poultry are raised or kept, and avoid handling surfaces contaminated with poultry feces or secretions.
As with other infectious illnesses, one of the most important preventive practices is careful and frequent hand washing. Cleaning your hands often with soap and water removes potentially infectious material from your skin and helps prevent disease transmission. Waterless alcohol-based hand gels may be used when soap is not available and hands are not visibly soiled.
Influenza viruses are destroyed by heat; therefore, as a precaution, all foods from poultry, including eggs and poultry blood, should be thoroughly cooked.
If you become sick with symptoms such as a fever accompanied by a cough, sore throat, or difficulty 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 your health care provider of any possible exposures to avian influenza. 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 your travel is health-related.
After your return:
Monitor your health for 10 days.
If you become ill with a fever plus a cough, sore throat or trouble breathing during this 10-day period, consult a health-care provider. Before you visit a health-care 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, he or she can be aware that you have traveled to an area reporting avian influenza. Do not travel while ill, unless you are seeking medical care. Limiting contact with others as much as possible can help prevent the spread of an infectious illness.
This page has been adapted from the Brown University page on Avian Flu dated April 2006.