question for recent china travelers
Dec 14th, 2005, 04:19 PM
#1
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question for recent china travelers
we are scheduled for china in late march. questions for recent travelers; 1. did the problems assoicated with the flu affect you trip? 2. did you have to wear a mask? 3. what type of medical check did you receive upon return to the us? 4. would the flu give you 2nd thoughts about going to china in the next 6 months? thank you for your reply.
Dec 14th, 2005, 04:39 PM
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The avian flu had no effect on our September trip. No mask; no medical check upon return. If there is bird to human transmission reported before (or during) the trip, I would seriously consider postponing the trip. Otherwise, there shouldn't be a problem if you stay away from bird markets and don't ingest bird blood.
Dec 15th, 2005, 09:57 AM
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My parents just returned from China. I also have several other relatives who's visited very recently, and I lives south of Guangzhou part of the year.
Here's how trips may be affected:
- My parents joined a Hong Kong tour group to Xi'an and surrounding areas. Many Asians are pretty scared of the situation, so the tour organizers decide to only order beef, pork and fish during their meals. No poultry throughout the 8 days.
- My aunt was trying to organize a tour to the more rural provinces of Guangxi and particularly Guizhou in SW China. Her friends are quite worried about the situation, so she cancelled the whole thing as even if they go, some may not feel comfortable at all.
- My cousin who spends part of the year in Punyu (south of Guangzhou) is eating all kinds of poultry these days. He's not scared, and chicken/ducks/geese are cheap and plentiful.
- At many (if not all) Chinese borders, they've set up infrared cameras in front of the immigration counter. If you have a fever when going in or out of the country, you will be pulled aside and there will be a health check or questionnaire, or something. [One may not notice it, but my dad was asked to take off his cap during his recent visit because they couldn't get a temperature reading of his head.]
Here's how trips may be affected:
- My parents joined a Hong Kong tour group to Xi'an and surrounding areas. Many Asians are pretty scared of the situation, so the tour organizers decide to only order beef, pork and fish during their meals. No poultry throughout the 8 days.
- My aunt was trying to organize a tour to the more rural provinces of Guangxi and particularly Guizhou in SW China. Her friends are quite worried about the situation, so she cancelled the whole thing as even if they go, some may not feel comfortable at all.
- My cousin who spends part of the year in Punyu (south of Guangzhou) is eating all kinds of poultry these days. He's not scared, and chicken/ducks/geese are cheap and plentiful.
- At many (if not all) Chinese borders, they've set up infrared cameras in front of the immigration counter. If you have a fever when going in or out of the country, you will be pulled aside and there will be a health check or questionnaire, or something. [One may not notice it, but my dad was asked to take off his cap during his recent visit because they couldn't get a temperature reading of his head.]
Dec 15th, 2005, 12:58 PM
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You can get the facts from the World Health Organisation and Centers for Disease Control websites, and I would recommend you do that if you're worried. Although authorities haven't ruled out the possibility, the virus hasn't yet jumped from birds to humans - you can't be infected by another person, so forget masks.
Outbreaks to date have been localised and have affected very few of China's 1.3 billion people. I believe that Chinese authorities have come out of denial and have made the important decision to fully compensate farmers for slaughtered livestock.
I have two daughters living in Liaoning Province in the north-east, where an outbreak was discovered in one village - neither locals nor expats are particularly concerned.
Personally, I wouldn't be deterred from revisiting China as long as the situation doesn't deteriorate, but you have to determine your own level of discomfort. As things stand you'll run a far greater risk of being hit by a car on your way to the airport than catching bird flu. There's no point in being reckless, but if we worried about every threat in the world we wouldn't get out of bed in the morning.
Outbreaks to date have been localised and have affected very few of China's 1.3 billion people. I believe that Chinese authorities have come out of denial and have made the important decision to fully compensate farmers for slaughtered livestock.
I have two daughters living in Liaoning Province in the north-east, where an outbreak was discovered in one village - neither locals nor expats are particularly concerned.
Personally, I wouldn't be deterred from revisiting China as long as the situation doesn't deteriorate, but you have to determine your own level of discomfort. As things stand you'll run a far greater risk of being hit by a car on your way to the airport than catching bird flu. There's no point in being reckless, but if we worried about every threat in the world we wouldn't get out of bed in the morning.
Dec 16th, 2005, 03:20 PM
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I was also in China about a week ago. I was worried about bird flu but no one else was. No masks, everyone was eating chicken. There were some extra health forms to fill out at airports about contact with chickens and fevers, etc.
It was really not a big deal at all.
It was really not a big deal at all.
Dec 16th, 2005, 07:10 PM
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I'm in China now and there doesn't seem to be any concern. To answer your questions:
1. It doesn't affect my travel plans but I work here 50% of the time so I don't have much choice.
2. No one wearing masks any more so than usual.
3. I don't remember any medical check upon return to the US. Only the usual temperature scan upon arrival in China. They might ask a few more questions about direct contact with birds or travel to rural areas/farms.
4. I'd only be concerned if there was a significant outbreak. Right now, it seems contained to those that eat infected birds. I guess the only change I've made is to eat less poultry since I don't know exactly where the bird came from. Plenty of fish, pork and beef dishes to choose from...
1. It doesn't affect my travel plans but I work here 50% of the time so I don't have much choice.
2. No one wearing masks any more so than usual.
3. I don't remember any medical check upon return to the US. Only the usual temperature scan upon arrival in China. They might ask a few more questions about direct contact with birds or travel to rural areas/farms.
4. I'd only be concerned if there was a significant outbreak. Right now, it seems contained to those that eat infected birds. I guess the only change I've made is to eat less poultry since I don't know exactly where the bird came from. Plenty of fish, pork and beef dishes to choose from...
Dec 16th, 2005, 08:12 PM
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Lia, the avian flu is NOT passed through eating infected birds. Indeed, the virus is killed by heat. The virus is passed through direct contact with live, infected birds, the corpses of bids who died of avian flu and the droppings (feces) of birds with the avian flu.
The avian flu can be passed by eating the uncooked blood of infected birds, so some of the traditional soups that are thickened just before serving via uncooked poultry blood should be avoided, but you can eat cooked poultry and eggs with no threat of getting avian flu.
The avian flu can be passed by eating the uncooked blood of infected birds, so some of the traditional soups that are thickened just before serving via uncooked poultry blood should be avoided, but you can eat cooked poultry and eggs with no threat of getting avian flu.
Dec 17th, 2005, 01:40 AM
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Kathie - Thanks for the explanation. The media coverage I see (CNN) only talks about people who died from eating infected birds so that's what I thought it was. The point of my answer to the original poster was that it's pretty easy to simply eat other foods if getting sick is of concern. However, from your message, it sounds like soup should also be avoided. Or maybe not, because the virus is killed by heat. Now I'm really confused...I think I'll just eat whatever and take my chances.
Dec 17th, 2005, 07:37 AM
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Lia, the news media are poor reporters of medical news. They aer more interested in sensationalism than in facts (which are not nearly so sensational).
I make the note about the soup thickened with fresh (not cooked) duck blood just prior to serving, as there were a couple of cases in VN thought to have been transmitted that way. (For this soup, it is not cooked after the addition of the duck blood, so the virus would not be killed.) Obviously, most soups are not thickened with fresh duck blood, and are not in any way a danger for passing the Avian flu.
I make the note about the soup thickened with fresh (not cooked) duck blood just prior to serving, as there were a couple of cases in VN thought to have been transmitted that way. (For this soup, it is not cooked after the addition of the duck blood, so the virus would not be killed.) Obviously, most soups are not thickened with fresh duck blood, and are not in any way a danger for passing the Avian flu.
