|
Travel Health News Digest (16 April 2006)
Indonesia: Avian Influenza, human The Ministry of Health in Indonesia had confirmed the country¡¦s 31st case of human infection with Avian Influenza (H5N1) virus. The case occurred in a 23-year-old man employed as a poultry worker in West Java. He developed symptoms on 20 March and had since fully recovered. Poultry death occurred in the two weeks preceding his visit to a farm. Of the 31 laboratory-confirmed cases in Indonesia, 23 had been fatal. (Source: World Health Organization 12 April 2006) Myanmar: Avian Influenza, poultry The H5N1 Avian Influenza outbreaks were spreading fast in Myanmar. There were now more than 100 poultry outbreaks, mainly in 2 districts, Mandalay and Sagaing, since its first outbreak of H5N1 Avian Influenza reported a month ago. (Source: ProMED-mail 10 April 2006) Pakistan: Avian Influenza, poultry Pakistan authorities confirmed outbreaks of the H5N1 Avian Influenza virus on a farm near the capital, Islamabad.
(Source: ProMED-mail 16 April 2006) Czech: Avian Influenza, bird Czech authority confirmed that another 2 swans found near the south Bohemia were killed by Avian Influenza. All the previous cases of bird flu were also detected in south Bohemia, and they all involved swans.
(Source: ProMED-mail 10 April 2006) Azerbaijan: Avian Influenza, human As of 11 April, the total number of confirmed human cases of Avian Influenza in Azerbaijan was 8. Five of these cases were fatal. Seven of the 8 cases occurred in Salyan. (Source: World Health Organization 11 April 2006) Egypt: Avian Influenza, human The Ministry of Health in Egypt had confirmed the country¡¦s 12th case of human infection with the H5N1 Avian Influenza virus. The patient remained hospitalised in stable condition. The infection had been linked to direct contact with diseased bird. (Source: World Health Organization 13 April 2006) Africa: Cholera Angola reported a total of 8 930 confirmed cases of Cholera, with 413 deaths. The Boavista neighborhood in Luanda was still the centre of the epidemic. Bengela, Bengo and North Kuanza were also severely affected.
Namwala district of Zambia reported 3 cases of Cholera. All cases were in stable condition. It was suspected that the cases contracted the disease after visiting Bweengwa for a funeral.
(Source: ProMED-mail 14 April 2006) Mainland: Measles Measles outbreaks were reported in parts of Hainan province, Mainland. As of 13 April, 554 Measles cases were reported. The usual peak season of the epidemics was in May to August in previous years. The epidemics were under control after a number of control measures. The possibility of large-scaled outbreak was low.
(Source: Xinhua News Agency 15 April 2006) Thailand: Hong Kong Traveller Contracted Dengue Fever The Department of Health confirmed an imported case of Dengue Fever, bringing to 7 cases so far this year. The 25-year-old female complained of fever, muscle pain and headache. She had travelled to Thailand prior to onset of symptoms.
(Source: Department of Health, Hong Kong SAR 11 April 2006) Vietnam: Dengue Fever Vietnam detected nearly 8 000 cases of Dengue Fever infections, including 4 fatalities, in the 1st quarter of 2006. Most of the cases were reported in southern localities like Ho Chi Minh City, Soc Trang and Dong Thap provinces.
(Source: ProMED-mail 15 April 2006) Papua New Guinea: Typhoid Fever In Erave, Southern Highlands province of Papua New Guinea, a total of 1 200 people had contracted Typhoid Fever and 6 had died since the outbreak in February this year. (Source: ProMED-mail 11 April 2006) Philippines: Typhoid Fever In the Philippines, more than 100 cases of Typhoid Fever were reported in Isabela so far this year. No fatal infection had yet been reported. (Source: ProMED-mail 11 April 2006)
[Editor¡¦s Note: Isabela located in the northeast territory of Luzon Island.] Germany: Measles In Germany, as of 12 April, 660 cases of Measles had been reported in Nordrhein-Westfalen. The most affected areas were the city of Duisburg, Moenchengladbach, and the district of Wesel. More than 90 percent of the patients had not been vaccinated. Measles virus type D6 was the main cause of this outbreak in Nordrhein-Westfalen; the same genotype that had recently caused a large outbreak in the Ukraine. (Source: ProMED-mail 13 April 2006) USA: Mumps An outbreak of Mumps involving at least 515 individuals in Iowa was reported in the USA and at least 100 cases of Mumps, probably related to this outbreak, had also been recorded in nearby Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Illinois. The health officials had identified 2 persons who had mumps diagnosed and were potentially infectious during travel on 9 different commercial flights involving 2 airlines during 26 March - 2 April.
The number of cases experienced in the epidemic this year, the largest since a 1988 outbreak in Kansas, far outpaced the 200 to 300 typically experienced in the USA annually.
(Source: ProMED-mail 14 April 2006)
|
