Information on health issues for international travelers can be obtained from the Atlanta Center for Disease Control (CDC). Review the CDC literature each time you travel and for each potential country destination to obtain the most current information. Travelers should consult their personal physician for advice on how a country's health issues may affect them.
The CDC can be found on the World Wide Web at: http://www.cdc.gov/travel/travel.html
The CDC also has an information hotline: (404)332-4559
The U.S. Department of State provides the following travel notice for U.S. citizens traveling abroad.
When planning your trip abroad, take steps to protect yourself from crime or theft. Crimes against travelers are a growing problem worldwide. Tourists are particularly targeted by criminals because they are usually carrying cash and are often easy to distract. Any traveler can become a victim of crimes such as pick pocketing, robberies, sexual assaults, and muggings.
-To keep yourself safe while traveling, follow the same common sense precautions you would exercise at home.
-Do not take valuable items on your trip. Carry traveler's checks and major credit cards, not large amounts of cash.
-Hide your valuables on your person. Wrapping rubber bands around your wallet makes it more difficult for a pickpocket to remove. Don't carry money or identification in a handbag; all to often, thieves simply take the bag, sometimes breaking arms in the process. If possible, don't carry a handbag at all.
-Before leaving, make a copy of the identification page of your passport. Take the copy with you on your trip, keeping it separate from the passport itself. While traveling, leave your passport and any money you don't expect to need that day locked in a hotel safety deposit box. If local law does not require you to keep your passport with you, carry only the photocopy of your passport when you leave your hotel.
-Find out which parts of town local inhabitants consider risky. Do not go out alone at night, stay in well-lit areas, and don't use short cuts or narrow alleys.
-Be especially alert in crowds. The most common sites for purse, bag, or camera snatching are the central train stations, crowded shopping areas, and places heavily frequented by tourists such as on public buses, trams, and subways.
-Thieves often strike when travelers are distracted. A bag casually left at one's feet or on a cart while checking a train schedule or using a telephone is an easy target. Money belts or pouches worn on the outside of clothing or loosely hung around the neck are easily cut or ripped off. Wearing them on the outside highlights where you keep all of your valuables.
-Travel with several passport size photos. It can be hard to get replacement photos on short notice if your passport is lost or stolen. Keep a record of your passport number, and the date and place of issuance if separate from the passport itself.
-If driving, keep car doors locked and suitcases out of sight.
-Don't leave valuables in parked cars. Thieves particularly target rental cars and cars with out-of-town or foreign license plates.
If you fall victim to crime, remember that the U.S. Embassy is there to help you. Every embassy and consulate has a duty officer on-call around the clock to assist in an emergency. If you need emergency medical care, the duty officer will try to help you get in touch with a doctor or clinic. If you lose your passport, report the loss to the local police and to the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate on the next business day to apply for a new one. If you have a police report, photos and proof of identification (or are accompanied by someone who can identify you), a new passport can often be issued the same day.
Copies of the following pamphlets are available for $1.00 each from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 20402. Please send a check or money order if ordering by mail.
Your Trip Abroad
A Safe Trip Abroad
Travel Tips for Older Americans
Tips for Americans Residing Abroad
Tips for Travelers to the Caribbean
Tips for Travelers to Central and South America
Tips for Travelers to Eastern Europe (under revision) Tips for Travelers to Mexico
Tips for Travelers to the Middle East and North Africa Tips for Travelers to the People's Republic of China Tips for Travelers to South Asia
Tips for Travelers to Sub-Saharan Africa
Tips for Travelers to the USSR (under revision)
Reprinted from the Office of International Programs, University of the Pacific
The U.S. Department of State can be found on the World Wide Web at: http://travel.state.gov/travel-warnings.html or copies can be obtain by request from UNLV International Programs.
Additional Safety Tips
-Always be aware of the location of your closest exit.
-Always be alert for distractions that may be staged by pickpockets, luggage thieves, or purse-snatchers.
-Consider wearing a money belt or other secure storage device; waist pouches are not advised because potential thieves will know the location of your valuables.
-Keep briefcases and purses in view or in hand when using telephones. If you are using a credit card, block the view of the keypad when entering the number.
-Be cautious when entering a public restroom.
-Inspect any gifts received in a foreign country before packing.
The U.S. State Department maintains a list of Consular Information and Travel Warnings. Information can be obtained at http://travel.state.gov/travel-warnings.html
The U.S. State Department is warning against travel to the following countries as of Fall 1998:
Liberia Belize Tajikistan Lesotho
Sudan Pakistan Angola Somalia Guinea-Bissau Nigeria Lebanon Algeria Colombia Montserrat Libya
Serbia-Montenegro
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Albania
Cambodia
Afghanistan
Democratic Republic of Congo
Sierra Leone
Lebanon
Eritrea
Burundi
Rwanda
Iran
Iraq
Congo (Brazzaville)
Central African Republic
Please check with the U.S. State Department for current conditions before traveling to any country. Travel advisories are issued when the U.S. government determines it is unsafe to travel to a particular country, generally when political or civil unrest or other dangerous situations exist. In many of these countries, consulates and embassies may be able to offer only limited or no consular services to U.S. citizens. U.S. citizens are subject to the laws and legal practices of the country in which they travel. In addition, the U.S. government has no direct diplomatic relations with several countries.
Cuba: The U.S. does not maintain an embassy or provide consular services in Cuba. It is illegal for U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba without a license from the U.S. Treasury Department. Licenses cannot be obtained for traveling as a tourist. Traveling to Cuba may result in civil penalties and criminal prosecution by the U.S. government upon return to the U.S. Although it is not illegal to travel to all countries where the U.S. government does not maintain diplomatic relations, it is not advised. Embassy and consular services are not available where diplomatic relations do not exist. Please read the U.S. State Department travel advisories for each country you intend to visit.