Countries with widespread Ebola transmission continue to include Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Mali has now been added to the list of countries with localized transmission. CDC has instituted a level 2 travel notice for Mali and US airport screening for returned travelers now includes persons who have been in Mali in the past 21 days.
There have been recent outbreaks of communicable diseases in other parts of the world including Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia as well as increased cases of a new and serious respiratory virus known as MERS or Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome. Persons returning from an affected area should monitor their health and if feeling sick contact their health provider. Students, Fellows and Scholars should contact Campus Health at 919-966-2281 and ask to speak with a Registered Nurse. More contact information for Campus Health. Employees should contact the University Employee Occupational Health Clinic (UEOHC) 919-966-9119. Regardless, any traveler who becomes ill, even if only a fever, should consult a health-care providerimmediately and tell him or her about their recent travel and potential contacts.
UNC has a very important policy guiding all travel by UNC students, staff and faculty. See more on the UNC Global Travel Info Page.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued a Level 3 Travel Warning advising against nonessential travel to Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and a Level 2 warning for the Democratic Republic of Congo (Nigeria has been moved down to a Level 1 Travel Warning). In addition, the CDC is continuing its screening and education efforts on the ground to prevent sick passengers from traveling from the affected countries.
The University endeavors to balance the value of participation in international educational activities against the potential risk to its students and employees of such participation. In balancing these factors, the University relies on information from the U.S. Department of State, most particularly the Travel Warnings issued periodically by that agency, and information in the Travel Notices issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Consequently, the University has developed the policy below that governs educational and other activities in countries for which the Department of State has issued a Travel Warning and countries for which the Centers for Disease Control has issued a Travel Notice.