Ebola

PeteB

See nothing on Kenya/Tanzania Forum about the Ebola issue since August 2014. Seems strange that I would be the only person concerned about this. I am booked on the December 20, 2014 tour.

British

You are visiting East Africa, so why are you concerned?

[Deleted User]

We're going on this trip in late January. Less concerned than just paying attention. As of now, more cases in Spain (where we will be in May) than Tanzania or Kenya.

TauckTim

Hi everybody,

As widely reported in the media, earlier this week officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that an individual who flew from Liberia to Dallas had been diagnosed with Ebola, and was receiving care in a Dallas hospital. Less than a week later, Europe got an Ebola scare of its own. A nurse in Spain tested positive for the virus health officials announced on Monday, marking the first known case where the virus was contracted outside of Africa.

While the resulting non-stop news coverage of Ebola was overwhelming, a number of relevant facts should be kept in mind that are provided by the CDC and the WHO (World Health Organization)

• Ebola is spread through direct contact with blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with Ebola, and it is not spread through the air or by water.
• Healthcare providers caring for Ebola patients and the family and friends in close contact with Ebola patients are at the highest risk of getting sick.
• The incubation period (the time between infection with the virus to onset of symptoms) is 2 to 21 days. Humans are not infectious until they develop symptoms.
• The risk of spreading Ebola to passengers or crew on an aircraft is low because Ebola spreads by direct contact with infected body fluids. Ebola does NOT spread through the air like flu.
• The risk of infection for travelers is very low since person-to-person transmission results from direct contact with the body fluids or secretions of an infected patient.

Tauck's very highest priority is the health and safety of our guests, and we are monitoring developments relating to the current Ebola crisis very closely. At this time, we are continuing to operate all of our scheduled journeys, as none of our itineraries visit the areas in Africa impacted by Ebola.

We will continue to monitor all developments relating to the current Ebola outbreak in Africa.

I hope this helps allay your concerns!

-Tim

smitty1008

Hi PeteB,
We're also on the December 20 trip. This trip of a lifetime, a bucket list trip my deceased father never made, has been two years in the planning. While we won't be taking foolish risks - we have our yellow fever shots, malaria tablets, won't pet stray dogs, will not visit the Turkey/Syria border, and so on - nothing short of Tauck canceling will stop us. I've even joked that if my family has to haul my carcass, I'm going.

Comparatively speaking, our five day extension in Istanbul has me more concerned right now. Traveling with Tauck, I feel confident.

We hope to see you in December!