CDC Reinstates Travel Alert for Toronto
Friday, 05.18.2007, 06:33pm (GMT)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has
reinstated a travel alert for Toronto, Canada, because of reports of new
possible cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
CDC lifted
the travel alert on May 20, 2003, because more than 30 days (or three SARS
incubation periods) had elapsed since the date of onset of symptoms for the last
reported case. However, on May 22, Canadian health officials reported a cluster
of five new probable SARS cases, which led to today’s reinstatement of CDC’s
travel alert for Toronto.
In response to the outbreak of SARS, CDC has
issued two types of notices to travelers: advisories and alerts. A travel
advisory recommends that non-essential travel to an area be postponed. A travel
alert does not advise against travel to a particular area, but informs travelers
of a health concern and provides advice about precautions they can take to
reduce their risk of exposure.
CDC is again recommending that U.S.
travelers to Toronto take precautions to safeguard their health. These include
avoiding settings where there has been evidence of transmission of SARS, such as
health care settings. CDC does not recommend the routine use of masks or other
personal protective equipment while in public areas.
Global Migration
and Quarantine officials from CDC will again be distributing health alert cards
to travelers returning to the United States from Toronto. The cards outline the
symptoms of SARS and recommend that people returning from Toronto monitor their
health for 10 days and alert their physician if they develop a fever or
respiratory symptoms, such as a cough or shortness of breath.
CDC also
recommends that travelers to Toronto practice careful hand hygiene – a first
line of defense for reducing an individual’s risk of a variety of infectious
diseases, such as SARS. As a general rule, CDC recommends frequent hand washing
with soap and water. If hands are not visibly soiled, alcohol-based hand rubs
may be used as an alternative.
Anyone planning travel to Toronto should
be aware of the current SARS outbreak, stay informed daily about SARS through
various Websites, including www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/ and www.who.int, and
closely follow recommended travel advisories and infection control guidance at
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/ic.htm.
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