Public Health Guidance for Community-Level Preparedness and Response to
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Version 3

Supplement E: Managing International Travel-Related Transmission Risk

III\. Activities Directed to Inbound Travelers

The nature and scope of activities related to travelers entering or in
the United States will differ depending on the extent of SARS-CoV
transmission in the United States and in the country or countries from
which the passenger has traveled (Appendix E1). When SARS-CoV
transmission is absent or limited in the United States, then efforts
will focus on promptly identifying cases imported from SARS-affected
areas and preventing further spread from such cases. Guidelines have
been developed for various groups who might be arriving from areas
affected by SARS-CoV
([www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/hostingarrivals.htm](http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/hostingarrivals.htm);
[www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/business_guidelines.htm](http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/business_guidelines.htm)).
If active transmission of SARS-CoV is occurring in a U.S. city or area,
then it will be important to prevent spread to other areas in the United
States, possibly by limiting or restricting non-essential travel into or
from the affected area.

#  

# Objective: Prevent spread from SARS-CoV-infected travelers entering the United States. 

**Basic Activities**

-   Inform incoming travelers about SARS, and provide guidance on
    monitoring their health and reporting illness to the appropriate
    authorities. This may be accomplished by use of:

    -   Videos or public announcements on the conveyance just before
        arrival

    -   Distribution of health alert notices before or upon arrival
        ([www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/travel_alert.htm](http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/travel_alert.htm))

    -   Posters or public announcements in airports

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-   Evaluate travelers who report SARS-like symptoms (e.g., fever or
    respiratory symptoms) during travel, and collect locating
    information for the other passengers and crew (See Section V:
    Activities Related to SARS on Conveyances).

-   Respond to reports of ill passengers on airplanes or other
    conveyances arriving from areas with SARS-CoV disease.

> **Enhanced Activities**

-   If the level of transmission in another country is high, incoming
    passengers from that country might require enhanced screening and
    evaluation through:

    -   Visual inspection of all travelers as they disembark

    -   Screening of travelers for symptoms of SARS-CoV disease and
        recent high-risk exposures to SARS-CoV (e.g., SARS patients or
        high-risk settings) through a self-administered questionnaire

    -   Temperature screening

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-   Quarantine inspectors at CDC quarantine stations and public health
    workers in locations near other ports of entry may be required to
    meet all airplanes or other conveyances arriving from areas with
    SARS to question crew members about any ill passengers and to
    visually inspect passengers upon disembarkation.

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-   If the level of SARS-CoV transmission in a U.S. area is sufficiently
    high to present a substantial risk to travelers, then non-essential
    travel to this area may be limited, cancelled, or subjected to
    increased surveillance measures.

-   Other activities that may be considered but whose effectiveness is
    unclear (especially given the resources required for implementation)
    include:

    -   Ten-day quarantine of all passengers arriving from SARS-affected
        areas

    -   Collection of locating information on all arriving passengers

For more information, visit
T[TTwww.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars](http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/) or call
the CDC public response hotline\
at (888) 246-2675 (English), (888) 246-2857 (Español), or (866) 874-2646
(TTY)