Welcome from the Office of International Affairs

May 10, 2009

The ECU Office of International Affairs continues to monitor the eight Websites at the bottom of this message and to consult with public health professionals for information and guidance with regard to the recent outbreaks of 2009 H1N1 Influenza (Swine Based) in Mexico, the US and numerous other lands.

As matters currently stand, we are optimistic that ECU's full complement of 2009 summer study programs will be able to proceed as planned. Because the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to recommend that American citizens avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico, however, a final verdict has not yet been reached with regard to ECU programs to that country. Our expectation is that the CDC will withdraw or sufficiently modify that statement soon enough for our earliest program to depart as scheduled on May 27th. We thus suggest that preparations continue for that program.

We will announce any changes as developments may warrant.

• 1. CDC "Travel Health Precaution: Swine Influenza and Severe Cases of Respiratory Illness in Mexico"
  http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentSwineFluMexico.aspx
  
  
• 2. CDC "Health Information for Travelers to Mexico"
  http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentSwineFluMexico.aspx
  
  
• 3. CDC "Travelers' Health"
  http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel
  
  
• 4. US Department of State Travel Alerts (for "short-term" concerns)
  http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1766.html
  
  
• 5. US Department of State Travel Warnings (for "long-term" concerns)
  http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html
  
  
• 6. World Health Organization
  http://www.who.int/en/
  
  
• 7. ECU Environmental Health, Safety
  www.ecu.edu/alert
  
  
• 8. US Department of Homeland Security
  http://www.dhs.gov
  
  

Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

-- Jim Gehlhar