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CDC Issues New Malaria Recommendations for Greece

isaclients — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:18:19 +0000

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received updated information on malaria cases in Greece. According to a recent publication by Greek health authorities, since September 27, 2011, a total of 20 malaria cases have been reported in persons with no history of travel to a malaria-endemic area. An additional 16 cases have been identified in persons from malaria endemic countries in whom importation versus local transmission of malaria could not be determined. All cases were confirmed to be P vivax. The majority (20 cases) occurred in the southern region of the country, specifically in the Laconia district in the south. Other cases occurred in the Evia/Euboea (island east of the Central Greece region), Eastern Attiki, Voitia, and Larissa districts.

The Hellenic CDC of Greece continues to work with the European CDC and has responded by enhancing its surveillance system and intensifying mosquito control in affected areas, raising awareness among healthcare providers and hospitals about early malaria diagnosis and treatment, and educating the public about prevention of mosquito bites.

Because of the ongoing evidence of malaria transmission in Laconia district, CDC is recommending that travelers to Laconia district in Greece take anti-malarial medicines to prevent malaria. Recommended antimalarials include one of the following: atovaquone-proguanil (Malarone ®), chloroquine, doxycycline, mefloquine, or primaquine. Note that primaquine is contraindicated in people with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. If primaquine is chosen, the traveler must be screened for G6PD deficiency prior to use.

For the districts of Evia/Euboea, Eastern Attiki, Voitia, and Larissa, anti-malarials are not recommended at this time because there have only been a limited number of cases.

Measures to prevent mosquito bites should also be taken for all of these districts with malaria. These measures include using insect repellent when outdoors, and staying in an air-conditioned or well-screened area, or sleeping under an insecticide treated bed net during the peak biting period for mosquitoes (dusk and dawn).

This notice will be updated as new information becomes available.

If you are traveling to Greece, then please make sure all your vaccinations are current. We also recommend purchasing travel medical and evacuation insurance for unforeseen illnesses and accidents. Call Insurance Services of America at 800.647.4589 or email them for a instant quote.

Tropical Storm Gert strengthens in Atlantic

isaclients — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:10:12 +0000

Gert, the seventh tropical storm of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, was moving north-northwest at 8 mph (13 kph) and had maximum sustained winds of 44 mph (75 kph). The storm, which formed Sunday afternoon, could get stronger as it makes its way toward Bermuda.

U.S. forecasters said Gert’s center was expected to pass near or just east of Bermuda by Monday afternoon.

If you planning a vacation, trip or are traveling to Bermuda or surrounding area, then we recommend contacting your travel supplier for current airline and travel delays. If you have purchased the trip protector or roundtrip travel insurance, then please call the 24 hour worldwide assistance telephone number on your ID card.

Air Canada: 3,800 employees on strike beginning today

isaclients — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:32:11 +0000

3,800 Air Canada call-center and airport employees walked off the job this morning. USA Today reports the airlines intends to operate a normal schedule despite the strike but the airline warned of long lines and advised passengers to check-in online and arrive early to airports.

“Rest assured that we will continue to operate our regular schedule, and have implemented a contingency service plan to minimize impact to our customers,” Air Canada says in a Tuesday morning e-mail to customers. “Existing bookings will be honoured and future bookings welcomed,” the airline adds.

If you have purchased our Roundtrip or Trip Protector travel insurance, then please contact the 24 hour worldwide assistance telephone number on your ID card if your trip is delayed or cancelled.

Erupting Volcano in Chile Continues to Disrupt Flights, Force Evacuations

isaclients — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:57:07 +0000

Officials say that the amount of ash falling east of the volcano has dropped significantly, but it is too early to predict how long it will take until the volcano stops erupting.

If you are in Chile and have been displaced to the volcanic activity and have purchased our RoundTrip Travel Insurance, then we recommend calling the 24 hour worldwide assistance telephone number. The RoundTrip provides a $100 per day for accommodations and meals resulting of being displaced from a Natural Disaster. If you are traveling to Chile, Argentina or S. America, then we recommend contacting your travel supplier for current flight cancellations and travel delays.

Grimsvotn Volcano Delaying and Cancelling Flights in Europe

isaclients — Mon, 23 May 2011 15:11:44 +0000

The Los Angeles Times reports that Iceland’s airports were closed Sunday and trans-Atlantic flights were being diverted around that country’s airspace. Last year it was the Eyjafjallajokull volcano and now it is the Grimsvotn volcano, which is spewing ashes into the atmosphere. At this time the air travel disruption is only impacting flights over Iceland, but the disruption could expand at any time.

We advise calling your travel supplier and airline for flight delay or cancellation information. If you have purchased our Roundtrip Travel Insurance policy with cancel for any reason then call 800.335.0611 for travel assistance.

If you are traveling this summer and need to obtain travel health insurance, then please call Insurance Services of America at 800.647.4589 for a free travel insurance quote.

National Terrorism Advisory System Alert

isaclients — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 23:58:57 +0000

This new system replaces the color-coded threat level system.

New Richard Simmons Travel Video

isaclients — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:18:52 +0000

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The three best travel accessories you’ve never seen before

isaclients — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 16:08:43 +0000

1. Lighter-weight luggage and bags with built-in and portable scales – no more overweight lugggage fees!

2. Shelves-To-GO luggage inserts, which accordions when dropped into a suitcase. The unit lifts out to hang in the hotel closet.

3. Powerbag’s Business Pack – checkpoint-friendly backpack for your laptop with a built-in battery for recharging your Iphone, Ipod, MP3 players. It has a full-size USB socket, micro- and mini-USB plugs and a 30-pin Apple connector.

The only problems with these new travel accessories? They all can still be lost by our friendly airline, airport security or hotel bellman or worse lost or stolen. Purchase our Roundtrip travel insurance and protect your valuables no matter how you transport them. Call Insurance Services of America at 800.647.4589 for a free travel insurance quote or visit them online at www.insurancefortrips.com.

Caution If You Are Planning A Trip to Spain

isaclients — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 23:07:39 +0000

Millions of airline passengers face months of disruption after Spanish airport workers announced plans for a series of strikes on March 9th. The walkouts, which will begin ahead of Easter, will ground hundreds of flights and wreck the holiday plans of families hoping to grab some spring sunshine. Nineteen days of strikes are planned, beginning on April 20th and continuing through May and June until the end of July. The dispute involves 12,500 ground staff employed by Aena, the state-controlled airport authority, which has been earmarked for privatization. It threatens to shut down nearly every airport in the country, including those in the Canary Islands.

They could coincide with industrial action by British Airways cabin crew, who are being balloted on strike action by the Unite trade union.

Air travelers delayed by this week’s storm could wait days for a flight to their final destinations

isaclients — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:27:00 +0000

The storm prompted airlines to cancel 6,321 flights Wednesday, as of early evening, said FlightAware, a tracking company. That was on top of nearly 7,000 flights that were canceled Tuesday. And more than 440 were grounded for today, leaving tens of thousands of passengers looking for seats on planes. Read more at USA Today.

If you have purchased our Roundtrip or Trip Protector policies, then you have a trip interruption and trip delay benefit to help cover costs of hotels, food and additional ticket expenses. Call the 24 hour worldwide assistance telephone number on your ID card for live assistance. You can also contact Insurance Services of America at 800.647.4589 to purchase travel insurance or visit them online at www.worldwidemedical.com/home.