Current Travel Health News

A study by the USA State Department showed that the leading cause of death for Americans travelling overseas was traffic accident which accounted for one-third of all such deaths in the last three years. Travellers can reduce the risks by researching road conditions and tour companies’ safety records beforehand.

 

In Bangladesh, some 8 500 chickens have been culled following an outbreak of H5N1 Avian Influenza in farms in Jessore . The disease was first identified in Bangladesh in late March, and so far there has been no report of human infection.

 

As of 26 April, 183 confirmed cases of Mumps have been reported this year from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island of Canada. Nova Scotia was the most affected province with 154 cases, followed by Nova Scotia with 28 cases. Approximately 90% and 25% of the cases in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick respectively were associated with university settings.

 

Germany reported 164 cases of Hantavirus Infection in the period from 1 January to 15 April 2007. The number of cases has considerably increased compared with that of the same periods in the last few years.  The majority of infections were acquired in Baden-Wuerttemberg state in southwest Germany.

 

Ghana had its first outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza at a chicken farm 20 km east of the capital Accra. About 100 chickens a day were dying in the past 3 to 4 days. All 1 600 chickens on the farm had already been incinerated to control the disease.

 

A health ministry official in Indonesia reported the country’s 75th fatal case of human infection of H5N1 Avian Influenza.  The victim was a 29-year-old woman.  She was admitted to a hospital in Medan in northern Sumatra on 2 May and died 2 days later.  The source of infection was not known yet.

 

The Centre for Health Protection confirmed an imported case of Dengue Fever.  The patient, a 63-year-old woman, developed symptoms of fever, chill, muscle pain and nausea on 25 April. She was hospitalised and was in stable condition. She had travelled to Indonesia from 30 March 30 to 27 April. Her travel companion did not have any symptoms of Dengue Fever.  This was the seventh imported Dengue Fever reported in 2007.

 

The Ministry of Health of Jamaica said on 30 April that a total of 11 new cases of Malaria had been reported since the beginning of the month. The ministry said it had been able to limit the spread of malaria to other parishes.

 

In Kenya, the first case of Rift Valley Fever in the current epidemic was reported in Gurufa of Garissa on 7 December 2006. Since then, nearly 700 suspected cases and 155 deaths were reported. The worst affected districts were Garissa, Ijara and Wajir districts in North Eastern Province, Tana River and Kilifi districts in Coast Province, and Kirinyaga and Maragwa districts in Central Province.

As of 14 April, the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare of Paraguay has recorded a total of 25 955 confirmed cases of Dengue Fever since beginning of this year. There were 52 confirmed and 43 suspected cases of Haemorrhagic Dengue Fever. The outbreak has claimed 13 lives.

 

The Department of Health of the Philippines reported more than 4 800 hospitalisations of Dengue Fever and 54 reported death.  Cluster of dengue cases were found in Malabon, Navotas and Quezon City of Metro Manila and Bangui in Ilocos Norte, northern Philippines, and Davao City in the south.

 

Novosibirsk of Russia has a high incidence of Opisthorchiasis. The parasite responsible for the disease is found in the rivers Ob, Irtysh, Dnepr, Donets, Volga, Kama, and Neman. Up to 80 percent of the population along the middle and lower parts of the rivers Irtysh and Ob are carriers.

 

[Editor’s Note: Opisthorchiasis is a parasitic disease that affect the biliary passages and liver. Human infection occurs through eating raw or undercooked freshwater fish that contain the developing worms. Most infections are asymptomatic. In mild cases, some patients may present with gastrointestinal discomfort, and in rare cases cancer of the bile ducts may develop, Therefore, travellers should avoid eating fresh or undercooked seafood and pay attention to Food and personal hygiene.]

 

In Thailand, more than 6 000 cases of Dengue Fever have been reported nationwide since January 2007.  Four people died of the disease.  The focus of the outbreak was in Trat province, 400 km southeast of Bangkok on the Cambodian border, and in the southernmost provinces along the Malaysian border.

 

An outbreak of Avian Influenza was reported in Nghe An Province of central Vietnam.  About 250 ducks have been killed by bird flu virus since 1 May 2007 and the remaining 360 ducks were culled. Tests showed the ducks were infected with H5 virus, and further investigation would be carried out.