STUDENTS ABROAD

NEWS & ALERTS

The State Department issues Travel Alerts and Travel Warnings.

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Travel Alerts

Travel Alerts are issued to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions that pose significant risks or disruptions to Americans.

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Travel Warnings

Travel Warnings are issued to describe long-term, protracted conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable. A Travel Warning is also issued when the U.S. Government's ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate or because of a drawdown of its staff.

The Current Travel Alerts and the Current Travel Warnings are available from the State Department.

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H1N1 Info

What’s H1N1?

2009-H1N1 Influenza (sometimes referred to as Novel H1N1 or “swine flu”) is a new virus causing illness in humans. It was first detected in people in the United States in April 2009. Many other countries, including Mexico and Canada, have reported citizens sick with this new virus. The virus is spreading from person-to-person, probably in much the same way that regular seasonal influenza spreads.

You cannot catch 2009-H1N1 by eating properly cooked pork products. The good news is that most folks infected with 2009-H1N1 fully recover, so there’s no need to panic, and you don’t have to cancel your travel! However, you do need to stay informed.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a “phase six” pandemic in response to the spread of the 2009-H1N1 virus, indicating community level outbreaks in two or more different regions of the world. The recent WHO declaration may cause some nations to initiate or to strengthen pre-existing screening and quarantine procedures for travelers.

If you intend to travel abroad in the near future you should be aware that foreign authorities may check you for symptoms of 2009-H1N1 Influenza and you may experience significant travel delays as a result. Please check the website of the embassy of the country you plan to visit for information on H1N1-related restrictions and procedures.

For more information about 2009-H1N1 Influenza, including steps you can take to stay healthy, visit the Department of State’s 2009-H1N1 webpage, the U.S. government’s pandemic influenza website, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization websites.

Also, make sure you check out our health tab which includes a section on staying healthy abroad. Having all the information makes all the difference! go from here…

In addition to these lists, the State Department issues Country Specific Information for every country of the world with information on such matters as the health conditions, crime, unusual currency or entry requirements, any areas of instability, and the location of the nearest embassy or consulate in the subject country.