041415 World Status Report

Brought to you by the International Center Risk and Safety Office. Use this report to be up to date about risks identified by worldwide official and professional sources.

This information may change without prior notice

Avoid Nonessential Travel

CDC

• 04/14/2015 Ebola standing travel notice. CDC urges all US residents to avoid nonessential travel to Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone because of unprecedented outbreaks of Ebola in those countries.

U.S. Department of State

• 04/13/2015 Mexico Travel Warning. The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens about the risk of traveling to certain places in Mexico due to threats to safety and security posed by organized criminal groups in the country. This Travel Warning replaces the Travel Warning for Mexico, issued December 24, 2014, to update information about the security situation and to advise the public of additional restrictions on the travel of U.S. government (USG) personnel.

Take Enhanced Precautions

CDC

• 04/13/2015 Hand, Foot, and Mouth (HFMD) Disease in Singapore. According to the World Health Organization, Singapore has reported more than 4,000 cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) during January and February 2015. CDC recommends that travelers to Singapore follow prevention recommendations to avoid HFMD.
• 04/10/2015 H5N1 Bird Flu in Egypt. CDC recommends that travelers to Egypt protect themselves from H5N1 by avoiding contact with wild birds, live or uncooked poultry, and body fluids from birds and poultry.

WHO

• 04/09/2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia. Between 24 and 31 March 2015, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 12 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, including 2 deaths.

Security Messages for U.S. Citizens

• 04/13/2015 Security Message Guadalajara (Mexico): The United States Consulate General in Guadalajara wishes to alert U.S. citizens to a number of recent violent, deadly confrontations between criminal organizations and police.  These incidents have occurred in various parts of the State of Jalisco, and may continue.  While the Consulate has no specific information that U.S. citizens are being targeted, the unpredictable nature of the attacks means that U.S. citizens should review their personal security preparations and remain vigilant at all times.  The Consulate also continues to recommend that inter-city travel be done during daylight hours and that when possible toll roads (“Cuotas”) should be used.

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

• 04/13/2015 Summary of public health threats, CDTR week 15/2015. This issue covers the period 5 to 11 April 2015 and includes updates on influenza A(H5N1), Ebola virus disease epidemic – West Africa and seasonal influenza in Europe.
• 04/10/2015 Epidemiological update: increase in reporting of human cases of A(H5N1) influenza, Egypt. In Egypt, as of 6 April 2015, the Ministry of Health and Population has reported 134 human cases of influenza A(H5N1), including 38 deaths. The number of laboratory-confirmed human cases of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection in Egypt with onsets of illness from January to March 2015 is the highest reported for a three-month period since the start of the epidemic in 2006.

Ebola News

CDC

• 04/13/2015 Updated Case Counts (From WHO SitReps). Countries with Widespread Transmission, Countries with an Initial Case or Cases and/or Localized Transmission, Previously Affected Countries.

WHO

• 04/13/2015 Ebola data and statistics. Reports 25 591 cases and 10 604 deaths in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

United Nations

• 04/13/2015 UNMEER Situation Report. KEY POINTS: The ‘campaign of sensitization and early detection of suspected cases of Ebola’ got under way in Forécariah yesterday. Re-opening of schools in Sierra Leone is scheduled for tomorrow, with approximately 1.8 million students returning to school.