Duke has limited travel to Mexico due to the swine flu outbreak.
The University added Mexico to its Restricted Regions List Tuesday in response to Centers for Disease Control guidelines recommending that individuals avoid nonessential travel to Mexico.
Among the programs affected by the declaration are the Duke in Mexico summer program and the Mexico portion of the DukeEngage in Tucson program.
The Duke in Mexico program was canceled Wednesday, the Durham Herald-Sun reported (Registration required).
Students who were planning to study Spanish in Mexico will now learn language and culture from afar—the program has been moved to Duke’s campus in Durham, according to Duke’s Preparing for Pandemic Flu Web site.
The DukeEngage program in Tucson will still be held, but students will not travel to Mexico during the program, DukeEngage Director Eric Mlyn wrote in an e-mail to students signed up for DukeEngage programs and their parents.
“We will continue to monitor this situation closely and will be in touch if any significant changes in programs or schedules occur,” Mlyn wrote. “Please be assured that all decisions will be guided by the latest recommendations of public health officials and by our concern for the health and safety of our participants.”
Several other universities have canceled Mexico programs in response to swine flu as well, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. In the Triangle, North Carolina State University canceled its summer study abroad program in Mexico, News14 reported.
There are now 141 confirmed cases of swine flu, also known as H1N1, and one death from the virus in the United States, the CDC reported Friday morning. Worldwide, there are at least 331 cases, according to the World Health Organization’s Web site.
For more information about the University’s response to swine flu, visit the Preparing for Pandemic Flu Web site the University has set up.
Tagged as:
CDC,
DukeEngage,
h1n1,
influenza,
Mexico,
Mlyn,
study abroad,
swine flu,
travel,
tucson,
WHO
Updated 11:00 p.m. Monday
University officials met today to discuss plans related to the outbreak of swine flu. Among those present at the 30-person meeting were Dean of Students Sue Wasiolek, Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta and Dr. Bill Purdy, executive director of Student Health.
Moneta said the meeting allowed University officials to begin to coordinate their plans should the flu spread to North Carolina. Experts from the Medical Center also provided background on swine flu.
“We all agreed that the University’s position is to be guided by county health officials and the CDC,” he said.
After the meeting, Moneta sent an e-mail to the Duke community detailing precautions individuals can take to avoid the flu and directing students to the Centers for Disease Control Web site for further information.
The e-mail read in part:
We have engaged a comprehensive internal team with representatives from across the University and Health System that will meet regularly to assess new information and provide updates to you regarding any new developments.
At this point, there are no changes to any campus or Health System activities, class schedules or work schedules.
Study Abroad has begun discussing contingency plans for the Duke in Mexico summer program, Margaret Riley, associate dean and director of Study Abroad, confirmed in an e-mail. No students are currently studying in Mexico, which has been most heavily affected by swine flu.
“The outbreak emerged late last week,” Riley wrote. “The University is still developing its response to the situation, but [Study Abroad] will be communicating with students planning on going on the Mexico program, and their parents, specifically, and others more generally.”
Riley said no timeline has been established for when any decisions will be made regarding the program. She declined to discuss what plans the University is considering.
“We understand time is of the essence, but want to be sure we consider the various aspects and options before making any decisions,” she wrote.
The CDC issued a travel health warning Monday night urging Americans to avoid non-essential travel to Mexico due to the swine flu.
“CDC is concerned that continued travel by U.S. travelers to Mexico presents a serious risk for further outbreaks of swine flu in the United States,” the warning says.
Forty people in the United States now have swine flu, the CDC reported Monday afternoon. The (Raleigh) New & Observer reported Monday evening that there are now some suspected cases of swine flu in North Carolina.
The outbreak began in Mexico, where at least 149 people have died from the flu, the New York Times reported today.
Meanwhile, the European Union’s health commissioner said Europeans should avoid traveling to the United States and Mexico because of the flu, the New York Times reported.
Tagged as:
CDC,
Centers for Disease Control,
Duke,
flu,
influenza,
Mexico,
Moneta,
Purdy,
Riley,
study abroad,
swine,
Wasiolek
