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Get
Road-Ready!
Travel-Health
Articles & Resources
Copyright© 2002, 2003, 2004
Marlene R. Fedin
212-864-0826
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Are You Road-Ready? Read The Latest
Travel-Health Column
TRAVEL-HEALTH & SAFETY NEWS CENTER
News Headlines •
SARS in the News
•
Safety Alerts & Recalls
January, 2004:
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
February, 2004: Avian Flu Forces Asian Airlines,
Eateries to Revise Menus
November, 2003:
Hepatitis A Outbreak
•
April,
2004: Update
Search
This Site
►HealthWire
Column Archives:
Includes news stories, latest research, and
updates on key travel-health topics such
as DVT, cabin air quality, etc. Check
Column Summaries for specific areas of interest.
2004:
April 2, 2004
• February 5,
2004
2003:
November
20, 2003
•
November 13, 2003
•
September
24, 2003
•
July 2,
2003
May 15,
2003
•
March 13,
2003
•
January 23,
2003
2002:
November 14,
2002
•
October 4,
2002
•
July 25,
2002
•
June 13,
2002
Search
this site.
 January,
2004: Avian Influenza
A(H5N1),
(Bird Flu) Alert
 February 8,
2004
Avian Flu Poses Health,
Culinary Challenges
For Asian
Eateries, Airlines
The World Health
Organization and local governments continue to assure consumers
that chickens and ducks are safe to eat if properly prepared.
But Asian hotels and restaurants and carriers plying Asian
routes in both infected* and non-infected countries are
implementing special programs to address consumer concerns over
chicken's safety.
Five-star restaurants as well as fast-food outlets and in-flight
caterers (who serve carriers with Asian routes) are stepping up health
inspections and increasing the cooking temperature (Heat destroys the
virus.) to exceed recommended standards for poultry. Others are changing
suppliers, shifting from sources in the infected countries, some of
which, like Thailand and China, are top poultry exporters. The most
pro-active are pulling chicken and egg-based dishes off their menus and
replacing them with seafood and vegetarian options.
Among the carriers who have pulled chicken off all or some of
their routes are: Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines,
Qantas, Korean Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, Air India
and Indian Airlines.
* To date, avian influenza outbreaks have been confirmed in:
Thailand, Vietnam, China, Japan, South Korea, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
Taiwan, and Pakistan.
►Go
to Hepatitis A news stories
T OP
►
FDA:
Hepatitis A Outbreak Lined to Green Onions
►
Yahoo News: U.S. Halts Mexican Green Onion Imports
►
Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette: Chi-Chi's Food Handlers' Hygiene No Longer Linked
to Outbreak
►
PittsburghChannel.com: Hepatitis A Toll Rises to 530
►
USA TODAY: Imported Food May Be Tied to U.S. Hepatitis A Outbreak
►
Medline/UPI: Number of Hepatitis A Cases Soars in PA Outbreak
►
PennLive.com/AP: Ohio Hepatitis A Cases Continue to Rise
T OP
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As the recent, serious Hepatitis A outbreak
in Pennsylvania, the largest in U.S. history, has shown, Hepatitis A
is a serious concern even if you don't leave the country or eat exotic
or foreign foods.
CONSUMER DINING &
PURCHASING ADVICE: The
FDA
has advised that raw green scallions (green onions) may pose a
health risk of Hepatitis A. To decrease your risk, only eat
scallions that have been thoroughly cooked (boiled, baked, or sautéed)
or will be cooked (if used as part of another food item or mixed
with another item). Exercise caution about where you choose to eat
and purchase food items.
When purchasing prepared foods or dining
out, check carefully that any items do not contain raw or lightly
cooked scallions. Ask if items contain scallions or green onions.
When in doubt, don't eat an item.
Questions? Check out the
FDA's FAQs
on the current outbreak.
IF YOU THINK YOU
MIGHT BE AT RISK NOW...
Concerned that you have ingested
contaminated items--or have been exposed to people who have been
involved in an identified outbreak? Check with local health
authorities to get an antibody inoculation, which must be given
within two weeks of exposure.
► Monitor your health and consult a
physician if symptoms (see below) appear.
► If symptoms appear, get an IgM anti-HAV
blood test. (Do not get the test if you have eaten raw scallions
but do not have symptoms.)
INCUBATION PERIOD, SYMPTOMS
► The incubation period for Hepatitis A
ranges from 15 to 50 days.
► The onset of symptoms may be delayed: The
early, flu-like symptoms may take as long as 28 to 30 days to appear.
► Infected individuals may have no signs or
symptoms of the disease.
► Symptoms may occur suddenly and without
warning. Symptoms include: loss of appetite, nausea, fever, fatigue,
diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, dark urine, and jaundice (eyes or skin
may appear yellowed).
T OP
PREVENTIVE
ACTION
If you travel to areas with questionable
hygiene and sanitation standards (in or out of the United States),
you should consult with your physician about getting a Hepatitis A
vaccine shot.
TIP: If
you have not eaten potentially contaminated items, but have a
health condition that may put you at additional or serious risk if you
should contract Hepatitis A, contact a physician and discuss whether
you should get a Hepatitis A vaccine shot. (Note: The vaccine is
designed to work before you are exposed to a potential
contaminant.)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & RESOURCES:
•
CDC Hepatitis A
Information Page
•
FAQs,
Overview,
Risk Factors from WebMD
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TOP
HEPATITIS A
UPDATE: April, 2004
After
investigating the Hepatitis A outbreak in Pennsylvania (and three
other states) in fall 2003, the Food and Drug Administration
says it has not found an explanation of how Mexican green onions
(cited as the source of the outbreak) became contaminated.
THE BACKSTORY:
TOLL FROM PA
HEPATITIS A OUTBREAK RISES: The FDA, CDC, and local health
departments are conducting ongoing investigations into the source
of a
Hepatitis A outbreak in western Pennsylvania that is
believed to have originated at a Chi-Chi's Mexican restaurant
near Pittsburgh. The Chi-Chi's chain is removing green onions
from all of its outlets and the unit where the outbreak was
believed to have started is closed until January.
The FDA
has halted the import of Mexican green onions while
it continues its
investigations into the outbreak's source.
Outbreaks associated with raw or
undercooked green onions (scallions) also occurred in September
in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia. (If you've traveled
to these areas and ingested possibly contaminated scallions,
symptoms would have presented by now, November 20, 2003.)
An estimated 540 people (as of
November 20, 2003) have been diagnosed with Hepatitis A in the
spreading outbreak with a number of deaths. Since the incubation
period can be as long as 50 days, more cases are likely to be
diagnosed.
◄
→
December 9, 2003:
FDA Investigation Update
T OP
STAYING ON TOP OF FOOD SAFETY ISSUES & RECALLS:
The experts
tell us that the number of food poisoning incidents has declined
since the mid-1990s but news headlines citing meat, turkey, and
chicken product contamination and recalls would have us think
otherwise.
If you travel extensively, you need to be aware of
food safety concerns beyond those that may be showing up in your
hometown. Contaminated lunch meat may not have reached your
local delis, but if you're eating your way around the country, you
may have a greater risk of encountering flagged food items (and
that includes more products than the widely publicized meat and
poultry recalls).
Resources Worth Noting:
▪ You
can sign up for e-mail alerts for food and drug recalls at
Safety Alerts. (You
can also specify food allergies and select up to five states in
addition to your home base.) Its site lists top recalls in
several categories, has a search function, and also details
current food recalls around the country.
Its news section highlights nationwide recalls and provides relevant
details on brands and distribution that can help you determine if
you're at risk. It also includes contact details.
Other Resources:
▪
USDA
Meat and Poultry Hotline (800-535-4555);
▪
FDA
"Safety Alerts";
▪
The
USDA's Food Safety and
Inspection Service includes info on food recalls and other
relevant data;
▪
CDC
FAQs on listeriosis;
▪ State Health departments (Check the
state links at the Association of State and Territorial
Health Officials site.)
TOP
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Learn More About
SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome)
|
INTERNATIONAL HEALTH ALERT:
On
March 15, 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a
rare health alert for what has now been identified as an
airborne respiratory virus designated as "SARS" (Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome).
To keep on top of SARS-related news, check daily
updates and get more info at these health and news sites:
•
The
CDC
(Centers for Disease Control)
•
WHO
(World Health Organization)
•
Health Canada
•
WebMD
•
Medscape
•
The New York Times
•
The
Wall Street Journal
•
Google News
The Business Travel Coalition Web site includes a
SARS
message board/discussion area.
T OP
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Copyright© 2002, 2003, 2004, Marlene
R. Fedin; no reprint or reuse, on or offline, without
express permission of the author
UPDATED
LINKS
Every effort is made to provide current, working links. However,
given the nature of the Web and the frequency of change on
individual sites, some links may not be available. If you can't find
a noted resource or you find an error, please
e-mail
The Wellness
Concierge®.
I'll correct errors and
provide you with updated information, where available.
SOURCES
Information is compiled from medical and scientific journals and
related professional publications, which have vetted the research
data that they present. Additional information resources include
medical and other professionals that I have interviewed.
T OP
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Marlene R. Fedin.
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"The
greatest problem in communication is the
illusion that it has been accomplished."
—Daniel W.
Davenport |
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