092415 – World Status Report

Avoid Nonessential Travel

CDC

• Ebola standing travel notice. CDC urges all US residents to avoid nonessential travel to Guinea and Sierra Leone because of unprecedented outbreaks of Ebola in those countries.

U.S. Department of State

• 09/21/2015 Burkina Faso Travel Warning. The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Burkina Faso and recommends that U.S. citizens currently in Burkina Faso depart as soon as it is feasible to do so.
• 09/17/2015 Sierra Leone Travel Warning. The U.S. Department of State advises U.S. citizens against non-essential travel to Sierra Leone.
• 09/16/2015 Libya Travel Warning. The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all travel to Libya and recommends that U.S. citizens currently in Libya depart immediately.
• 09/14/2015 Iraq Travel Warning. The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all but essential travel to Iraq. Travel within Iraq remains dangerous given the security situation.
• 09/11/2015 Chad Travel Warning. The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all travel to Chad and recommends that U.S. citizens currently in Chad depart as soon as it is feasible to do so.

Take Enhanced Precautions

CDC

• 09/18/2015 CDC Polio Advisory. The CDC recommends that all travelers to Madagascar, Guinea, Mali and Ukraine be fully vaccinated against polio. In addition, adults who have been fully vaccinated should receive a single lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine.
• 09/23/2015 CDC Chikungunya Advisory. The CDC recommends that travelers to Mexico and Senegal protect themselves from Chikungunya by preventing mosquito bites.
• 09/11/2015 CDC Hand, Foot, and Mouth (HFMD) Advisory. CDC recommends that travelers to Singapore and Japan follow recommendations for hygiene and cleanliness to avoid HFMD.

WHO

MERS-CoV

• 09/23/2015 Kuwait. On 19 September 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of Kuwait notified WHO of 1 additional fatal case of MERS-CoV infection.
• 09/18/2015 Jordan. Between 7 and 10 August 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of Jordan notified WHO of 5 additional cases of MERS-CoV infection, including 2 deaths.
• 09/17/2015 Saudi Arabia. Between 6 and 11 September 2015, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 22 additional cases of MERS-CoV infection.
• 09/09/2015 Saudi Arabia. Between 1 and 5 September 2015, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 25 additional cases of MERS-CoV infection.

Mosquito borne diseases

• 09/17/2015 Chikungunya – Spain (update). On 3 August 2015, WHO was notified by the National IHR Focal Point for Spain of a case of chikungunya infection in the city of Gandia, Valencian Community.
• 09/17/2015 West Nile virus – Portugal. On 14 September 2015, the National IHR Focal Point for Portugal notified WHO of a confirmed human case of West Nile virus (WNV) infection.
• 09/14/2015 Chikungunya – Senegal. On 9 September 2015, the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs (MOHSA) of Senegal notified WHO of active circulation of chikungunya virus in the region of Kédougou.

Cholera

• 09/11/2015 United Republic of Tanzania. The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW) of Tanzania has notified WHO of foci of cholera outbreaks in the country

U.S. Department of State

• 09/21/2015 Saudi Arabia Travel Warning. The Department of State urges U.S. citizens to carefully consider the risks of traveling to Saudi Arabia.
• 09/21/2015 Potential Implications for Travel Because of Ebola in Parts of West Africa. The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to screening procedures, travel restrictions, and reduced aviation transportation options in response to the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
• 09/18/2015 Venezuela Travel Warning. The Department of State has issued this Travel Warning to inform U.S. citizens about security conditions in Venezuela.

Security Messages for U.S. Citizens

• Brussels, Belgium U.S. Embassy: Message for U.S. Citizens: Travel through Europe
• Vienna, Austria U.S. Embassy: Message to U.S. Citizens/Refugee Situation
• Warsaw, Poland U.S. Embassy: Message for U.S. Citizens: Travel through Europe
• Germany U.S. Embassy: Possible Border Crossing Disruptions

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

• 09/21/2015 Summary of Public health threats, CDTR week 38/2015. This issue covers the period 13 to 19 September 2015 and includes updates on West Nile fever, the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and MERS.
• 09/17/2015 STI trends in Europe: chlamydia rates stabilise while gonorrhoea numbers go up. With an estimated 146 million infections each year, chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide. And Europe is no exception with almost 385 000 cases reported in 2013 alone and more than 3 million between 2004 and 2013. But while trends in the number of chlamydia infections appear to have stabilised in recent years, gonorrhoea rates have gone up by 79% since 2008, particularly among men.

Ebola News

CDC

• 09/21/2015 Ebola in Liberia. Update. CDC is no longer recommending that US residents practice enhanced precautions when traveling to Liberia. Although there is believed to be no risk of Ebola to travelers, travelers should, as usual, avoid contact with sick people, dead bodies, or blood and body fluids. The health infrastructure in Liberia had been severely strained by the Ebola outbreak but is now returning to normal.

WHO

• Here is the latest WHO #Ebola situation report (23 September 2015) http://t.co/lWbDrTnWhE #EbolaResponse pic.twitter.com/LujBnii4Ab

  — World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) September 23, 2015

The risk information in this report is retrieved from U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and other professional sources as listed in the post. It provides general guidance for UT Dallas travelers. Please note the revision date (mmddyy) of this report, printed on the title of the post, and go to the direct sources listed for the most up-to-date information.  The information in this report may change without prior notice.