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April 28, 2009
The Acting Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services has declared a Public Health Emergency in the United States as a result of confirmed human cases of Swine Flu in California, Texas, Kansas, New York and Ohio. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) has received reports of confirmed human cases in Mexico and Canada. There are unconfirmed reports of Swine Flu cases in other countries. Many countries— including Egypt, where there have been no confirmed cases—are taking preventive measures. Some countries have discussed possible travel restrictions on those coming from or going to affected countries.
In light of the declaration of a Public Health Emergency by HHS, we would like all Americans traveling or living in Egypt to be aware of the latest information on Swine Flu and to be mindful of possible travel restrictions. Please consult the Department of State information on Swine Flu at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_pandemic.html, the United States Centers for Disease Control website at http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/
the World Health Organization website at http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html
or WHO’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean website at http://www.emro.who.int/index.asp
Remember, when any flu virus is circulating, it is important to practice good hygiene (wash hands regularly with soap and water and cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you sneeze), to seek appropriate treatment promptly if you have flu-like symptoms (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/pdf/takingcare.pdf), to avoid sick people, to avoid other people if you are sick, and to have an adequate supply of water and food in case you need to stay in place for several days. Additionally, while most of the attention these days is on Swine Flu, Egypt has had several confirmed cases of Avian Flu this year. As such, we recommend avoiding close contact with poultry (dead or alive), areas where poultry is slaughtered, poultry by-products and poultry droppings. There is nothing wrong with eating poultry, fresh or frozen, as long as it is properly cooked (170 degrees Fahrenheit).
The Embassy is located at 5 Tawfik Diab (formerly Latin America) Street, Garden City, Cairo, phone: 20-2-797-3300. Normal business hours for American citizen services are 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Sunday through Thursday. In the event of an emergency or if you require urgent assistance outside of those hours, please call 797-3300. The Embassy strongly encourages all Americans visiting or residing in Egypt to register with the Embassy. Registration should be made on-line at: https://travelregistration.state.gov. General information about Egypt and the U.S. Embassy is available at the Embassy’s website http://egypt.usembassy.gov. In addition to information on the Internet, U.S. travelers may obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or, outside the United States and Canada on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444
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