Ebola considerations of geography, risk, and return are the focus of this week’s guidance to help you stay safe when traveling abroad.
The following is Part 1 of a four-part series of brief, practical guidance to help our University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) community stay safe when traveling abroad. The series was written by the UMB Office of Public and Occupational Health in collaboration with Wilbur Chen, MD, director of the Travel Medicine Practice at the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health.
Ebola outbreaks are typically localized and often limited to specific districts rather than entire countries. The surrounding regions may be under heightened surveillance, even without active cases.
Before you travel:
- Check current outbreak locations and travel notices:
- Review the CDC's country-specific guidance.
Understand risks of Ebola:
- Transmission requires direct contact with bodily fluids, such as blood, saliva, sweat, urine, feces, vomit, and breast milk. There is also risk when touching contaminated objects, such as clothing, bedding, needles, and medical equipment.
- Risk is generally very low for routine travelers who avoid high-risk exposures.
Plan for your return:
- You may experience entry screening at U.S. airports.
- Public health authorities may recommend monitoring for up to 21 days.
- Rarely, movement restrictions may apply for higher-risk exposures.
- Review the CDC's post-travel guidance.
For individualized travel health guidance, schedule a consultation with the Travel Medicine Practice at the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health.