IF a bird flu pandemic hits the United States, travelers should expect more scrutiny from customs officials worldwide, public health officials say.
Depending on the U.S. airport, you may be asked to undergo testing if you appear sick. But beyond those steps, most public health agencies and travel industry groups and agencies are taking a wait-and-see approach. Implementation of additional protective measures depends on whether the virus, called H5N1, shows up in the U.S.
As of April 21, 204 human cases of avian influenza have been confirmed worldwide, including in Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam, according to the World Health Organization; 113 have died from the disease
The virus primarily has affected poultry flocks in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Asia. More than 200 million chickens have died of the disease or been killed to stem its spread, the United Nations reports. So far, bird flu has not been transmitted person to person, but scientists fear the virus could mutate to a form that spreads easily among people.
Customs officers already are trained to deal with infectious disease threats, says Leah Yoon, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
"If a customs officer notices that you are looking sick, he will get in touch with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," she says. It's up to the health officials to decide the next step.
Travelers should be honest in completing their customs declarations forms, she says. "A lot of times, travelers forget about where they have been or what they have been in contact with."
Customs officials are on heightened alert, she says, to prevent travelers from smuggling in birds.
Late last year, Honolulu International Airport began a monitoring program in which officials test people who appear to be sick if they agree to it.
"If an individual is very sick on an incoming flight, the flight crew will alert the on-call nurse at the airport to provide assistance to the passenger," says Janice Okubo, a spokeswoman for the Hawaii State Department of Health.
"If the passenger agrees, a sample will be taken from their nose with a swab. The sample will be sent to the state laboratory for testing. Results will determine if the passenger has the flu and what type of flu."
