By Natalie Giannosa
For The State News
A face mask, Tamiflu and bird repellent aren't on Robert Besaw's travel list as he prepares to go to Costa Rica this summer on a study abroad trip.
Besaw is one of many students traveling as reported cases of bird flu increase and officials continue to worry the virus might become a worldwide health concern.
"I'm not really concerned with the bird flu because there haven't been any cases in the country I'm going to," said Besaw, an interdisciplinary studies in social science and anthropology sophomore.
While students shouldn't panic, they should keep themselves informed with the possible bird flu outbreaks in those countries, experts said.
The MSU Office of Study Abroad plans to keep students educated, sending out messages in mid-April to people traveling this summer, said Cindy Chalou, assistant director of the Office of Study Aboard.
"They need to be aware and keep watch, and we want them to know we're also watching," Chalou said.
The office is working on a policy that would include contingency plans for different scenarios if the bird flu were to affect MSU students, Chalou said.
A total of 2,053 students are studying abroad this summer, and, although Europe is a destination where several programs are offered, Chalou said that no one has dropped out of the program in fear of the bird flu.
Bird flu is a H5N1 virus, also known as avian Influenza A, according to Dr. Marc Siegel, author of "Bird Flu: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Pandemic," a 2006 book chronicling the disease.
The virus surfaced in Hong Kong in 1997 and is mostly found in Asian poultry. The H5N1 virus in poultry and wild birds has recently become widespread throughout 22 countries in Europe and parts of Asia, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. There have also been a number of cases in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
So far, humans have only contracted the virus from contact with infected birds.
It's spread by airborne droplets, such as coughing and sneezing.
Symptoms resemble those of the regular flu but are more severe than usual.
Ninety-eight people have died from the H5N1 virus since 2003, mostly due to respiratory failure, according to the World Health Organization Web site.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff last week said the bird flu could come to the United States in the new few months as birds migrate from other nations.
The bigger concern is of the virus mutating and becoming easily transmitted from human to human, causing a pandemic.
MSU's Travel Clinic in Olin Health Center provides immunization services to students planning to study abroad. Before leaving, it's recommended to make an appointment to discuss health and safety risks, along with pre-immunizations.
A student could visit travelclinic.msu.edu/ to learn about the specific immunization requirements for the countries they're visiting, said Joy Platte, a university physician.
The MSU Travel Clinic also advises to visit the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site, www.cdc.gov, to keep informed.
Zaje Harrell, psychology social science assistant professor, said his first recommendation is to learn the country and surroundings in which students will be living during the study abroad period.
"Right now, the best thing you can do is not obsess about it and to continue with our regular routines," Siegel said.
