Air Pollution Not Bird Flu Should Be the Concern When Visiting China

Online, June 27, 2013 (Newswire.com) - One of New York City allergist Dr. Arthur Lubitz's patients asked him about traveling to China and whether or not she should be worried about the recent outbreak of cases of H7N9 bird flu. He told her that despite this outbreak the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said that it is still a safe destination for tourists. Of greater concern than bird flu, though, is the country's widespread air pollution.

Bird flu cases continue to grow but there is still only a relatively small number of cases and very few fatalities. Still, the CDC offer these tips on what preventative measures tourists can take while visiting China:

Stay clear of open air markets which off chickens and other fowl for sale.
Do not touch live or dead birds.
Only eat chicken that has been thoroughly cooked.
Avoid street vendor food.
What I advise my patients should be a greater concern for them is the widespread air pollution. Seth Kugel, columnist for the Frugal Traveler of the New York Times, said that on a trip to the Southwestern city of Chongqing at night the air pollution was burning his nose.

The American Embassy issued a report on the air quality in China based on a a scale (large air particles) set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a hazardous air quality topping out at 500, Beijing's air was 755 at 8PM on one particular evening. People were seen wearing masks and the embassy suggested that all tourists stay indoors until the air quality improved.

For asthmatic patients or those patients with other respiratory problems paying attention to air quality while traveling is very important. Low air quality caused by air pollution can seriously exacerbate respiratory symptoms by irritating the respiratory system. For some patients this may be just a minor annoyance but for others it can be deadly. It's advised that patients be aware of conditions when traveling.

Tourists with asthmatic or respiratory problems, says the Embassy, should avoid traveling to Beijing in the winter when pollution is the worst and other big cities like Shanghai. The best seasons to travel to China is late summer and autumn. They should also listen to Embassy air pollution reports daily. For relatively pollution-free tourist sites, tourist operators suggest the mountains of Changbabaishan, the highlands of the Yunnan Province and Tibet, as well as most coastal areas and the islands of Hong Kong.

For more information about how air pollution and poor air quality can affect your respiratory conditions visit our website at NYCAllergyDoctor.com