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CDC advisory system provides disease alerts for travelers

Infection Control Monitor, May 28, 2004

With emerging infectious diseases such as SARS, bird flu, and ebola flaring up across the globe, the CDC in May rolled out a new system to provide travelers with guidance about potential health threats.

The system is effective immediately and replaces the CDC's previous travel alerts and advisories. The agency will post guidance at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/ as cases of disease occur.

The guidance includes the following four levels:

1. In the News: The lowest level of notice, this category provides information about sporadic cases of disease or an occurrence of a disease of public health significance affecting a traveler or travel destination. The risk for an individual traveler does not differ from the usual risk in that area.
2. Outbreak Notice: A disease outbreak in a limited geographic area or setting. The risk to travelers is defined and limited, and the notice will remind travelers about standard or enhanced travel recommendations, such as vaccination.
3. Travel Health Precaution: Provides specific information to travelers about a disease outbreak of greater scope and over a larger geographic area to reduce the risk of infection. The precaution also provides guidance to travelers about what to do if they become ill while in the area. The CDC does not recommend against travel to a specific area, but may recommend limiting exposure to a defined setting (e.g., poultry farms or healthcare settings).
4. Travel Health Warning: Recommends against nonessential travel to an area because a disease of public health concern is expanding outside of areas or populations that were initially affected. The purpose of a travel warning is to reduce the volume of traffic to affected areas, limiting the risk of spreading the disease to unaffected areas.

At press time, the CDC had issued no travel health warnings or precautions, but it posted notices regarding outbreaks of polio, measles, meningococcal disease, and yellow fever. 

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