To All %%%%%%,



Most of you have heard about the recent outbreak of Swine Flu. The majority of confirmed cases have occurred in Mexico, primarily in Mexico city. To protect employees, %%%%% has issued a recommendation that anyone planning business travel to Mexico postpone their trip until the situation is better understood. According to our travel records, %%%%%%%%%% currently does not have anyone planning travel to Mexico through American Express. If you or someone on your team has a need to travel to Mexico please contact me as %%%%%%%%% has asked that travel plans be reviewed with %%%%%%%%, their consulting physician.



A limited number of Swine Flu cases have been identified in other areas of the world including the U.S. Employees should take common sense precautions to protect themselves and others at work and at home. The following suggestions are from the U.S.A. Centers For Disease Control (CDC):



What You Can Do to Stay Healthy

There are everyday actions people can take to stay healthy:

· Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

· Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.

· Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way

Swine Flu Symptoms:

· Similar to those of seasonal influenza-sudden onset of fever, coughing, muscle aches and extreme tiredness. Swine flu appears to cause more diarrhea and vomiting than normal flu.

· Go to the hospital if you have severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing; but if your symptoms are mild, stay home to avoid spreading the virus to others at the hospital.



Try to avoid close contact with sick people:

· Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.

· If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

If you have any questions, or your plans call for travel to Mexico, please contact %%%%%%%%%%%%%%