U.S. set to issue travel warning to Mexico

[Stinky The Clown]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department plans to issue a travel warning later on Monday urging Americans to avoid all "nonessential" travel to Mexico because of an outbreak of swine flu, a U.S. official said.

Swine flu has killed 103 people in Mexico and has spread to the United States. Spain has reported one case of the virus, the first to be confirmed in Europe.

"There will be a travel warning urging Americans to avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico because of the swine flu," said a U.S. official, who spoke on condition he not be named as the warning has not yet been announced.

(Reporting by Sue Pleming; Editing by Will Dunham)

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE53Q3F320090427

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on edit: The EU issued a similar warning, resulting in this:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gi2hrHM39_CtUSLAn194hA3QuB0g

US calls EU travel warning unwarranted

54 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The top US disease control official rejected as unwarranted Monday an EU warning that appeared to call on Europeans to avoid travel to the United States and Mexico due to the swine flu outbreak.

"At this point, I would not put out a travel restriction or recommendation against coming to the United States," said Richard Besser, acting head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Besser was responding to a statement earlier Monday by EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou recommending that Europeans avoid unnecessary travel to areas hit by the swine flu outbreak.

"Personally, I would try to avoid non-essential travel to the areas which are reported to be in the center of the cluster," she said.

Vassiliou did not specifically mention the United States, but the swine flu outbreak has been centered in Mexico and has caused 20 confirmed cases across the border in the United States, the second hardest-hit country so far.

She said the precaution was necessary "in order to minimize the personal risk and to reduce of the potential risk to spread the infection to other people," she added.

But Besser disagreed, saying "I don't think that's warranted."

"At this point, we've identified 20 cases of swine influenza in this country," he said on CNN television.

"Thankfully all of those people have recovered, only one of those people has required hospitalization."

But Besser added that officials expected more severe cases and "possibly deaths" to surface in the United States.

US authorities on Sunday declared a public health emergency in response to the flu outbreak, but called the measure "standard operating procedure" in order to free up federal, state, and local resources for efforts to prevent the spread of the flu virus.

[Robb]

1. I wonder if it will be an alert or a warning

Alerts are for short-term issues, warnings for long-term problems. It will be telling to see which they issue.

[FarCenter]

2. It's pretty much too late to ban US-Mexico travel

But a ban on travel between the US and other countries might be useful to protect them.

[Mojorabbit]

3. I think it is too late for that

too, it has spread to europe, south america has suspect cases, Israel, etc

[FarCenter]

5. Outside North America, it is in fewer cities

Only a couple of cases that might be quarantined and isolated better. They at least have a shot at really stalling it.

[bagrman]

4. Even though we have been told multipul times , that due to

our ease of travel that a pandemic would go around the world like a wild fire, they won't shut down air travel from afflicted countries. How many died from a form of swine flu in 1918 without air travel?

[Tracer]

6. I just came back ...

... from a "non-essential" vacation in Mexico (although that vacation seemed pretty darned essential to me!)

Anecdotally, I saw no ill people.

[Mr. Sinister]

8. You're lucky...

My Mexican vacation was supposed to start next Friday. Oh well. I'm sure sitting at home will be just as fun.

[tomm2thumbs]

7. at least this happened on the tail end of Spring Break - could've been MUCH worse

thus far

[Skink]

9. What about the Texas and California border crossings?

Aren't some of the farms in question in close proximity? I realize the logistical problems but:shrug:

[ecstatic]

10. All of Mexico or certain parts?

I have a cruise scheduled with a port stop in Cozumel and Carnival hasn't said a peep yet about this!