Current Travel Health News

The Ministry of Health in Lao People’s Democratic Republic had reported a second human case of H5N1 Avian Influenza.  The victim was a 42-year-old woman from Vientiane province who developed symptoms on 26 February and died on 4 March.

Two more cases of Avian Influenza were reported in Egypt. They were a 4-year-old boy from Ad Daqahliyah Governorate and a 10-year-old girl from Aswan respectively.  They were hospitalised and their condition remained stable.  The boy was exposed to sick birds.  Of the 25 cases confirmed to date in Egypt, 13 had been fatal.

In the Mainland, there were 9 501 cases of Measles reported nationally in February this year, with an increase when compared with the cases in January (8 447 cases) and in February (5 641 cases) last year.

 

Furthermore, there were 2 341 cases of Rubella reported during February this year compared with 2 101 cases reported in January.  During February last year, 1 001 cases of Rubella were reported.

The Hong Kong Department of Health were investigating two imported cases of Dengue Fever.  The first case was a 63-year-old man who developed fever, muscle pain and tiredness on 25 February.  He was hospitalised and discharged.  He had travelled to Thailand prior to the onset of symptoms.  The second case was a 29-year-old lady who developed fever, muscle pain, bone pain etc. on 22 February.  She recovered without hospitalization.  She had been to Indonesia before the onset of symptoms.  A total of 4 imported Dengue Fever cases were reported in 2007.

In Jankipuram of Uttar Pradesh, India, an outbreak of Jaundice, with diarrhoea and vomiting, had claimed 3 lives and more than 24 patients were undergoing treatment.  The cause of jaundice was under investigation, but it might be due to Hepatitis A or Hepatitis E.

In Tanzania, 10 fatal human infection of Rift Valley Fever were reported in the Dodoma region. Local regional officials reported that Bahi and Chawinio districts were put under quarantine since 12 March after the confirmation of Rift Valley Fever infections in the livestock.

From 1 January to 11 March 2007, the Ministry of Health of southern Sudan reported 6 946 suspected cases of Meningococcal Meningitis including 430 deaths in 9 states of Southern Sudan.  Currently the most affected counties are Aweil West, Juba, Mundri East, Rumbek, Tonj South, Wulu and Yirol.

 

In northern Uganda, 2 961 cases including 105 deaths had been reported in several areas.

 

In Burkina Faso, 4 958 cases including 432 deaths were reported.

 

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 730 cases and 84 deaths had been reported.

As of 13 March, 2007, at least 42 people, mainly children, had died in the last 24 hours from a suspected Cholera outbreak in southern Somalia. More than 240 others had been hospitalised at a provincial hospital in Marka town, in the Lower Shabelle region, south of the capital, Mogadishu.

 

In Angola, from January to February 2007, 91 cases of Cholera, from which 6 resulted in deaths, were reported by the municipal hospital of Balombo, south Benguela province.  From April to December 2006, Balombo district recorded 299 cases of Cholera, from which 15 resulted in deaths.

 

In Congo, from 27 February to 7 March 2007, 667 cases of Cholera were reported with no death.

 

In Sudan, from 26 February to 4 March 2007, 569 cases of Cholera were reported with 18 deaths.

 

In Comoros, from 26 February to 4 March 2007, 20 cases of Cholera were reported with 1 death.