I had booked my India trip last month to arrive in Delhi in May this year,but of recent there is a lot in the news about bird flu and swine flu. I think there was a lot of bird flu in Chandigarh and Delhi but have not heard anything about it now but swine flu seems to be in the news much more with cases reaching around 2400. I am a vegetarian so there are no issues of getting the flu from eating anything but the main problem is that the flu is in the air and you can easily get infected. For those living in India please can you give me the current state of swine flu and suggest what I should do regarding my trip in May.
Flu season would be over by then. These occur in winters and by May winters would be long gone. Keeping hands off handles, bars and railings etc reduces the risk by a great deal and also not touching your face while you are outside helps. Just use a hand sanitizer once in a while. Avoiding crowded places would also be a good idea because you get it from other people who may or may not know that they have it. Your home country would also issue a travel advisory if the risk was severe so if there isint one asking not to go to India then your government obviously believes that it is safe to visit. I hope this helps.
There has been many deaths due to swine flu in the last few days in Ludhiana which is a city in Northern state of Punjab. No news from elsewhere so I am hoping that it is limited to that particular area.
I didn't realize the bird or swine flu was still circulating to the point of being talked about in the news. I certainly hadn't heard anything about india. Your home government would have a travel advisory if the flu is bad in any areas.
Although no one wants to get bird flu or swine flu, or any flu, it is not the threat the media makes it out to be. It is very dangerous in areas of extreme poverty because they do not have access to healthcare, and do not have the time or general health to properly recover. A US citizen will not have these problems if they do get sick. Of course, the best cure is prevention, and it is easy to avoid getting sick. Most people that do contract swine and bird flu are those in direct contact with the animals. If you can avoid meat markets or animal preserves, that should go a long ways in keeping you safe.
Bird and Swine flu are also still talked about in the US. I am not going to panic myself about these things. When I travel I keep hand sanitizer with me. I am very careful not to touch anything with my hands. For example, when you are in a public bathroom have paper towels, keep some on you in case they don't have them, and use the paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the door. Sometimes people wash there hands, just to touch the faucet and door handle and expose themselves to germs. There are ways to use precautions against illness while you travel, which you should already be taking.
