TY - JOUR AU - Vonnahme, Laura AU - Jungerman, M. Robynne AU - Gulati, Reena AU - Illig, Petra AU - Alvarado-Ramy, Francisco T1 - US Federal Travel Restrictions for Persons with Higher-Risk Exposures to Communicable Diseases of Public Health Concern T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2017 VL - 23 IS - 13 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Published guidance recommends controlled movement for persons with higher-risk exposures (HREs) to communicable diseases of public health concern; US federal public health travel restrictions (PHTRs) might be implemented to enforce these measures. We describe persons eligible for and placed on PHTRs because of HREs during 2014–2016. There were 160 persons placed on PHTRs: 142 (89%) involved exposure to Ebola virus, 16 (10%) to Lassa fever virus, and 2 (1%) to Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Most (90%) HREs were related to an epidemic. No persons attempted to travel; all persons had PHTRs lifted after completion of a maximum disease-specific incubation period or a revised exposure risk classification. PHTR enforced controlled movement and removed risk for disease transmission among travelers who had contacts who refused to comply with public health recommendations. PHTRs are mechanisms to mitigate spread of communicable diseases and might be critical in enhancing health security during epidemics. KW - travel KW - restrictions KW - public health travel restrictions KW - global health security KW - communicable diseases KW - epidemics KW - Ebola KW - Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus KW - MERS-CoV KW - viruses KW - Lassa fever KW - exposures KW - do not board KW - zoonoses KW - United States DO - 10.3201/eid2313.170386 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/23/13/17-0386_article ER - End of Reference