MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- The U.S. Department of State issued a public announcement March 29 in order to alert Americans of a recent Centers for Disease Control travel advisory.
The CDC is advising people who may be planning trips to mainland China, Singapore and Vietnam to postpone their trips until further notice due to the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome cases in these areas.
Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni is also recommending that service members, their families and those who work aboard the Station avoid any nonessential travel to these areas of the world, according to Col. Dave Darrah, Station commanding officer.
"There is nothing you can do on this base that doesn't affect everyone else in our community," said Darrah. "We are highly recommending that individuals not go to these regions. It's a force protection issue for us due to the fact that if Marines get sick then we have to worry about the capability of the Station to launch and recover aircraft."
Darrah also mentioned concerns some may have of the upcoming spring bazaar by saying, "We are aware of vendors participating in the upcoming spring bazaar coming from parts of the world affected by SARS and we will be screening those individuals through medical as well."
According to Navy Lt. Eugene Garland, Branch Medical Clinic preventive medicine officer, there is a specific criteria for determining whether or not an individual has contracted SARS.
"We've put together a traveler's health questionnaire which people will fill out upon returning from these regions. The questions on the form comply with what the CDC has come up with to determine an individual's susceptibility to SARS," said Garland.
A series of afflictions must be present for medical personnel to diagnose the presence of SARS, according to the traveler's questionnaire.
Individuals must have a respiratory illness of unknown origin onset since Feb. 1 and all of the following: measured temperature at or above 100.5 F; one or more clinical findings of respiratory illness; travel within 10 days of onset of symptoms to an area with documented or suspected community transmission of SARS.
According to Garland, people who must travel to affected areas should visit the travel medicine clinic prior to departure for a brief and information package about the region they will traveling to.
"We will tell them about the diseases that are prevalent in that area, what personal measures to take, what to look for and where they can get help if needed," said Garland. "We are however encouraging people to just avoid these areas until further notice.