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Travel Health News Digest (12 March 2006)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human The Ministry of Health in the Mainland reported the country¡¦s 10th death from H5N1 Avian Influenza. The patient, a 9-year-old girl from the eastern province of Zhejiang, developed symptoms on 10 February and died on 6 March. This case was previously announced by Chinese authorities on 27 February, when the patient was listed as in critical condition. To date, the Mainland had reported 15 laboratory-confirmed cases. Of these, 10 had been fatal.
(Source: World Health Organization 8 March 2006) Indonesia: Avian Influenza, poultry In Batam of Indonesia, chickens had been found to carry the Avian Influenza virus. (Source: ProMED-mail 12 March 2006) Albania: Avian Influenza, poultry Albania confirmed its 1st case of the deadly H5N1 strain of Avian Influenza in a chicken found in the southern Sarande coastal region.
(Source: ProMED-mail 8 March 2006) Austria: Avian Influenza, cat In Austria, 3 cats had been tested positive for the deadly strain of Avian Influenza. The sick cats were at an animal shelter where the disease was detected in chickens last month. (Source: ProMED-mail 6 March 2006) Germany: Avian Influenza, bird and stone marten Two more dead wild birds were confirmed as being H5N1-positive in Bavaria, Germany, bringing the total number of wild birds infected with Avian Influenza in this region to 5. The latest cases were a buzzard and a swan found on 28 February and 2 March respectively. Officials in Germany confirmed H5N1 infection in a second mammalian species, the stone marten, in the country. The stone marten was found on the Baltic island of Ruegen on 2 March.
(Source: ProMED-mail and World Health Organization 9 March 2006) Poland: Avian Influenza, bird In Torun of the northern Poland, the first case of H5N1 Avian Influenza had been confirmed in two dead swans. In addition, H5 bird flu virus had been diagnosed in a dead swan found in the town of Kostrzyn. (Source: ProMED-mail 6 and 11 March 2006) Russia: Avian Influenza, bird An outbreak of suspected Avian Influenza hit the southern Astrakhan Region, about 1000 miles southeast of the capital Moscow, Russia. According to the local health ministry, health measures were being taken to prevent the disease from spread of the disease. So far, bird flu had been registered in 7 regions in the Southern Federal District, including the republics of Kabardino-Balkaria, Daghestan, Chechnya, Kalmykia and Adygea, and the Krasnodar and Stavropol territories.
(Source: ProMED-mail 6 March 2006) Serbia and Montenegro: Avian Influenza, bird The health officials of Serbia and Montenegro confirmed its first case of H5N1 Avian Influenza in a swan found last week in the northern Sombor region. Another swan found dead in western region was also assumed to have had the virus. (Source: ProMED-mail 8 and 9 March 2006) Sweden: Avian Influenza, bird Sweden had found 4 more cases of the H5 Avian Influenza subtype in wild ducks in the cities of Karlskrona and Oxelosund.
(Source: ProMED-mail 8 March 2006) Cameroon: Avian Influenza, poultry Cameroon reported the country¡¦s 1st outbreak of Avian Influenza in chickens in the northernmost province of Maroua.
(Source: ProMED-mail 12 March 2006) Nigeria: Avian Influenza, poultry The outbreak of H5N1 Avian Influenza in Nigeria had now spread to several parts of the country, to more than 130 farms in 11 of the country¡¦s 37 states, including Kaduna, Kano, Plateau, Katsina, Bauchi, Yobe, Nasarawa, Abuja, Anambra, Benue, and Rivers. About 450 000 birds were found dead or had been destroyed. No human case had been found so far. (Source: World Health Organization 9 March 2006) Sudan: Cholera Between 28 January and 3 March 2006, a total number of 5 634 cases and 127 deaths from acute watery diarrhea were reported in Yei and Juba towns of southern Sudan. Vibrio cholerae Inaba had been laboratory confirmed as causative agent. Control measures including chlorination of public water supplies had been implemented. (Source: World Health Organization 6 March 2006) Indonesia: Hong Kong Traveller Contracted Dengue Fever The Department of Health confirmed an imported case of Dengue Fever, bringing to 5 cases so far this year. The 36-year-old male complained of fever and headache since 2 March. He had travelled to Indonesia prior to onset of symptoms.
(Source: Department of Health, Hong Kong SAR 10 March 2006) India: Undiagnosed Febrile Illness In Orissa state of India, an outbreak of febrile illness had affected around 3 000 people up to 1 March. Patients were complaining of headache, severe body pain and vomiting. The aetiology of the outbreak was still under investigation.
(Source: ProMED-mail 5 March 2006) Madagascar: Chikungunya Disease Madagascar had reported sporadic cases of Chikungunya Disease. As there was simultaneous existence of Dengue Fever and Chikungunya which made it very difficult to provide exact figures on each. Toamasina was the worst affected town on the east coast.
(Source: ProMED-mail 7 March 2006) Ukraine: Measles An increase in the number of Measles cases had been reported in Ukraine since February last year. By the end of last month, 19 673 cases of Measles had been reported; 17 281 occurred during January and February this year. (Source: ProMED-mail 9 March 2006)
Ghana: Anthrax, human In Garu Tempane district of Upper East region of Ghana, 4 people had contracted Anthrax and died in the last 2 weeks of February. Free anthrax vaccines were provided. However, many farmers refused their animals to be vaccinated. (Source: ProMED-mail 7 March 2006)
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