In Vietnam, Avian Influenza reappeared in two Mekong Delta provinces. On 6 December, the disease broke out in Ca Mau province killing 2 520 chickens and ducklings, all of which later tested positive for Avian Influenza H5N1. The next day, five duck flocks in Bac Lieu province with some 3 500 ducklings died due to H5N1 bird flu virus.

South Korea confirmed the fourth outbreak of H5N1 Avian Influenza at a duck farm in Asan, South Chungcheong province. There were no reports suggesting human infection.

[Editor’s note: South Chungcheong province is about 100 km north of North Cholla province, where the first three outbreaks occurred.]

(Source: ProMED-mail 21 December 2006)

The Ministry of Health in Egypt had confirmed 3 more cases of human infection with the H5N1 Avian Influenza virus, bringing the total number to 18 with 9 deaths. The victims came from the same family living in Gharbiyya province. One of the victims was a 30-year-old woman who was admitted to the hospital on 17 December and died on 24 December. The other victim was a 15-year-old girl who was admitted to the hospital on 20 December and died on 25 December. The last victim aged 26 was the brother of the 15-year-old girl. The family raised ducks in their backyard and the brother and sister were infected after slaughtering their sick ducks.

The Nigerian Veterinary Association said the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of Avian Influenza remained a major problem in Nigeria. More states had reported new cases of the disease in the last few weeks.

As of 19 December, there were 135 suspected cases of Chikungunya Fever in Maldives. Hospitals and health posts were packed with feverish patients.

As of 18 December 2006, 3 cases of Yellow Fever were confirmed in the northern part of Togo. The Ministry of Health would carry out a mass vaccination campaign.

The Kenya Government had identified the disease that has killed 12 people in Garissa as Rift Valley Fever. Most of the patients were aged between 20 and 30 and are men. They had experienced high fever, swollen limbs, diarrhoea and vomited blood. The authority attributed the outbreak to the floods in North Eastern Province.

The fever is mainly an animal disease, but can be transmitted to human beings through mosquitoes and raw milk. There is a livestock vaccine against the fever, but none for humans.

A suspected Cholera outbreak had killed at least 4 people in the Ijara area of northern Kenya, a region badly hit by flooding. The outbreak believed to have been caused by villagers drinking contaminated water.

Cholera that had so far killed 20 persons out of 177 recorded from 24 Nov to 17 Dec 2006 in Angola's central Huambo province and continues spreading into other provincial capital city's surrounding compounds. Since 6 Dec 2006, at least 11 people died of Cholera out of 131 cases reported in coastal Benguela province of Angola.

In Uganda, 553 cases of Cholera had been reported in Kampala area with 8 deaths as of 15 December 2006. The worst hit areas were Bwaise, Kalerwe, Nsoba, Mulago, Katwe, Mengo, Kisenyi, Namuwongo, Luzira and Katanga, all city suburbs. Cholera cases have continued to be reported in the districts of Kitgum, Pader, Kasese, Bundibugyo, Hoima, Arua, Yumbe and Koboko.

In Tanzania, an outbreak of Cholera occurred in Mpanda District, Rukwa Region. 45 people admitted to health centres between 5 Nov and 17 December 2006 with 1 death. There were 26 confirmed cases. From 12 December 2005 to 20 November 2006, 11 227 people had contracted cholera in the Tanzania's commercial capital, Dar es Salaam region, 117 of whom had died.

(Source: ProMED-mail 22 December 2006)

In Australia, devastating bush fires in New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia have so far destroyed some 30 homes. With fires moving fast, local authority fears that all animals in the affected areas wiould be perished.

The largest outbreak of infectious gastroenteritis, which was mainly due to Norovirus infection, in the past 25 years is spreading rapidly across Japan and had claimed 4 lives in Matsuyama. Over 65 600 people throughout the country were thought to have been infected by Norovirus between 27 November and 3 December 2006. The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has issued warnings of a potential epidemic to all but 2, Aomori and Okinawa prefectures, of Japan’s 47 prefectures.

(Source: ProMED-mail 17 and 23 December 2006)