Information for travelers
Warden Message
October 9, 2009
The Embassy advises all U.S. citizens in Cameroon that an outbreak of cholera has been reported in the northern part of the country, including the cities of Garoua and Maroua. As of October 9, 86 cases, including one death, have been observed.
Cholera is a highly infectious disease that is readily transmittable. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that individuals traveling through or residing in countries experiencing cholera outbreaks take the following precautions:
• Observe careful hand-washing and sanitation practices.
• Drink only water that you have boiled or treated with chlorine or iodine. Other safe beverages include tea and coffee made with boiled water and carbonated, bottled beverages with no ice.
• Eat only foods that have been thoroughly cooked and are still hot, or fruit that you have peeled yourself.
• Avoid undercooked fish, raw fish or shellfish, including ceviche.
• Make sure all vegetables are cooked; avoid salads.
• Avoid foods and beverages from street vendors.
Additional information about cholera is available at the following CDC website, http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/
cholera_gi.html.
Updated information on travel and security in Cameroon may be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free within the United States and Canada or, for callers outside of the United States and Canada, on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. For further information, please consult the Country Specific Information for Cameroon and the Worldwide Caution, which are available on the Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet website at http://travel.state.gov.
U.S. citizens living or traveling in Cameroon are encouraged to register with the Embassy. Registration may be done online, and can be done in advance of travel at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the Embassy in Yaoundé, Cameroon. By registering, U.S. citizens make it easier for the Embassy or the Department of State to contact them in case of emergency.
The U.S. Embassy in Yaoundé is located on Avenue Rosa Parks in the Mbankolo Quartier, adjacent to the Mount Febe Golf Club; mailing address P.O. Box 817. The Embassy telephone number is (237) 2220-1500. The Embassy fax number is (237) 2220-1572. The Embassy’s branch office in Douala is located on the corner of Rue Ivy and Rue French in the Ecobank Building in Bonanjo; telephone (237) 3342-5331, fax (237) 3342-7790.
For after-hours emergencies, U.S. citizens should call (237) 2220-1500 and ask to speak with the duty officer.
