Planning for international travel
There are no international travel restrictions as a result of avian flu. If you travel to a country where avian flu is present, avoid poultry farms and open air markets where poultry is sold.
The World Health Organization (WHO), the CDC and the U.S. Department of State issue travel information, alert, warnings and announcements for public safety, personal security and health issues. Before you travel internationally please consult the sites below. WHO, CDC and State Department advisories are updated often and may differ.
If an area has a travel advisory or warning in effect, the safest decision is not to travel unless it is absolutely necessary. For more international travel health information, see:
Precautions for international travelers
As of September 2006, the World Health Organization does not recommend screening travelers from countries where avian flu is present.
If you have recently lived in, or traveled from, an area where avian flu is present and you now have a fever, headache, muscle aches or respiratory symptoms, you should call a health care provider and ask for instructions.
Federal and state governments have asked colleges and universities across the country to prepare contingency plans in the event that human-to-human transmission of pandemic influenza becomes virulent. St. Lawrence has been working closely with local first responders and government officials as it develops contingency plans.
The College has developed protocols for response consistent with directives from the World Health Organization (WHO), the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention (MCDC).
If there is human-to-human transmission in North America, the college will decide what steps need to be taken, up to and including emergency closure of the College.
St. Lawrence has used many different sources and references for pandemic planning. One of the most relevant documents guiding Bates' pandemic planning is: "Colleges and Universities Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist." The list was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a guideline for planning.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Environment, Health and Safety has compiled a comprehensive list of documents and links relevant to college pandemic planning. The list was shared with the Campus Safety Health and Environment Management Association (CSHEMA) and became the basis for a web page specifically oriented to college pandemic planning.
With grateful acknowledgement for resource information from the Campus Safety, Health and Environmental Health Association (CSHEMA) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Bates College and SUNY Canton.
