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H1N1

Public health officials within the United States and throughout the world are investigating outbreaks of H1N1 flu. The outbreak of novel H1N1 flu is ongoing and additional cases are expected. For information on the status of H1N1 flu in the United States, visit the CDC H1N1 Flu Web site. For current travel notices, please visit The CDC’s Travelers’ Health Web site. Information about the international status of H1N1 flu, including maps of affected countries, can be found on the WHO Influenza A (H1N1) Web site.

H1N1-specific Guidance for Travelers

• Risk of Novel H1N1 Flu Associated with Travel to Affected Areas (Español)
• Information for airline passengers exposed to novel H1N1 flu (Español)

H1N1-specific Guidance for the Airline and Travel Industries

• Guidance to Assist Airline Flight Deck and Cabin Crew in Identifying Passengers Who May Have Novel H1N1 Flu 
• Guidance for Airlines Regarding Flight Crews Arriving from Domestic and International Areas Affected by Novel H1N1 Flu 
• Interim Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Guidance for Cruise Ships 

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H5N1

The risk of avian influenza to travelers is very low. Only rare cases of human infection with avian influenza have occurred, and there has been no sustained human to human transmission. Travelers to areas affected by avian influenza in birds are not considered to be at elevated risk of infection unless direct and un-protected exposure to infected birds occurs. Map of confirmed cases of H5N1 Avian Influenza.

H5N1-specific Guidance for Travelers

• Travelers Health: Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  Read CDC recommendations for before, during, and after travel to affected areas.
• Guidance for U.S. Citizens Living Abroad (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  Learn what precautions to take if you are a living in areas where avian influenza outbreaks among poultry or human H5N1 cases have been reported, and what to do if you are exposed to the virus.
• Medical Information for Americans Traveling Abroad (U.S. Department of State)
  Learn how U.S. consular officers can assist you if you become seriously ill or injured abroad.

Traveling to an Affected Area

• Avoid contact with live poultry and wild birds
• Avoid visiting live animal markets and poultry farms
• Avoid contact with surfaces contaminated with animal droppings/feces
• Avoid handling birds found dead
• Do not eat or handle undercooked or raw poultry, egg or duck dishes
• Exercise good personal hygiene with frequent hand washing

After You Return from an Infected Area

• Monitor your health for 10 days.
• If you become ill with a fever plus cough, sore throat, or trouble breathing during this 10 day period, consult a health care provider. Before you visit your health care provider inform them of:
  1. your symptoms
  2. where you traveled
  3. if you have had direct contact with poultry or close contact with any severely ill person or persons

If You Become Sick While Traveling

• 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 friends and family. Consult the U.S. Department of State site, Key Officers of Foreign Service Posts, for contact information.

H5N1-specific Guidance for the Airline Industry

• Guidance for Airline Cleaning Crew, Maintenance Crew, and Baggage Package and Cargo Handlers for Airlines Returning from Areas Affected by Avian Influenza A (H5N1) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  Discover precautions to be taken by Cleaning Crews and Personnel who handle baggage from commercial and cargo airlines when encountering airlines returning from areas affected by avian influenza.
• Guidance for Cleaning Aircraft Exteriors after Collisions with Birds in Avian Influenza A (H5N1)-Affected Areas (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  Any potential risk of human exposure may be reduced by observing the cleaning recommendations in this guidance for when a bird has collided with an airplane taking off from, flying over, or landing in one of the H5N1-affected countries.
• Guidance for Airline Crews and Persons Meeting Passengers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  Discover precautions to be taken by airline flight crews and personnel when meeting passengers suspected of having avian influenza.

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General Transportation Industry Guidance

• Interim Guidance for Cleaning Crew for a Truck Cab when the Driver or Helper is Visibly Ill during an Influenza Pandemic
  This document contains general guidelines for cleaning a truck cab after a truck arrives with a driver or helper suspected to have pandemic.
• Interim Guidance for Cleaning Passenger and Cargo Vessels during an Influenza Pandemic
  The purpose of these guidelines is to provide a basic framework of response.  This document is directed toward those individuals who are responsible for shipboard health and safety.
• Interim Guidance for Passenger Railcar (Transit Vehicle) Cleaning When Pandemic Influenza is Suspected in a Passenger or Crew Member
  This document contains general guidelines for cleaning a passenger rail car that has carried a traveler with a suspected case of pandemic influenza.
• Interim Guidance for Transit Station Cleaning During and Influenza Pandemic
  These guidelines provide recommendations to employees and employers for cleaning a transit station during an influenza pandemic.
• Interim Guidance for Cleaning International Port of Entry (IPOE) Detention Facilities When Pandemic Influenza is Suspected in a Detainee or Staff Member
  This document is meant for employees and managers responsible for cleaning an IPOE detention facility that has housed a detainee or employed a staff member with a suspected case of pandemic influenza.

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General Airline and Travel Industry Guidance

• Interim Guidance for Aircraft Cleaning When Pandemic Influenza is Suspected in a Passenger or Crew Member
  This document contains general guidelines for cleaning the cabin when an aircraft has carried a traveler who is suspected to have pandemic influenza.
• National Aviation Resource Manual for Quarantinable Diseases (PDF - 3.72 MB) (U.S. Department of Transportation)
  Manual for airlines, airports, federal response agencies and other first responders, local and state health departments. Outlines the response to and recovery from a quarantinable disease incident, including avian influenza, at a U.S. international airport.
• Travel Industry Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist (PDF - 128.99 KB)
  This checklist is designed to aid travel industry personnel in preparing their business operations for a potential influenza pandemic.

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General Quarantine Information

• Questions and Answers on the Executive Order Adding Potentially Pandemic Influenza Viruses to the List of Quarantinable Diseases (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  
  Understand what the President's Executive Order says through a series of questions and answers.
• Quarantine Executive Order Amendment (E.O. 13295) (The White House)
  
  Read the President's Executive Order relating to certain influenza viruses and quarantinable communicable diseases.
• Legal Authorities for Control of Communicable Diseases (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  
  U. S. Federal Laws for Control of Communicable Diseases
• History of Quarantine (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  
  Learn about the history of quarantine in the United States, and how yellow fever and cholera epidemics prompted Federal legislation that began the shift of quarantine responsibilities from local and state governments to the federal government.

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