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Travel Health News Digest (23 April 2007)
Angola: Cholera In Angola, 22 cases of Cholera were recorded in Benguela in early April, of whom 9 died. In addition, 58 cases of Cholera had been recorded in Cabinda since early April. Bangladesh: Unknown disease An outbreak of an unknown severe disease was reported in Bangladesh in a remote village less than 20 kilometers from the border with India. At the same time, a similar disease was causing deaths on the Indian side of the border.
(Source: World Health Organization 20 April 2007) Brazil: Yellow Fever In Brazil, a case of Yellow Fever was confirmed in Bom Despacho in January this year. In recent months, the health authority had noted that monkeys were dying in rural areas of the region, especially in Moema e Leandro Ferreira, presumably from Yellow Fever. Burkina Faso: Meningococcal Meningitis From 1 January to 8 April 2007, the Ministry of Health of Burkina Faso reported 22 255 suspected cases of Meningococcal Meningitis, including 1490 deaths. Specimens from all affected areas have tested positive for Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A. Cameroon: Meningococcal Meningitis Cameroon reported nearly 100 Meningococcal Meningitis cases in the past 2 weeks and more than 10 people have died of the disease. Cameroonian authority found most of the cases in the regions of Mayo-Sava and Mayo-Tsanaga in the Extreme North province.
(Source: ProMED-mail 17 April 2007) Indonesia: Hong Kong traveller contracted Dengue Fever The Hong Kong Department of Health confirmed the fifth imported case of Dengue Fever in 2007. The 30-year-old man developed symptoms of fever and mild headache on 10 April. He was hospitalised on 16 April and discharged on 18 April. He had travelled to Indonesia prior to onset of symptoms. Indonesia: Anthrax, human and livestock In Indonesia, five people from two villages in the West Sumba regency of East Nusa Tenggara died of Anthrax. Another 12 were undergoing intensive treatment. These patients had eaten the meat of cows and water buffaloes believed to have been infected. The authorities had sealed off the villages and began mass vaccinations of livestock in the area. Japan: Measles Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases announced an outbreak of Measles in Kanto region including Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture, and warned that there might be a larger outbreak before Golden Week holiday period, which starts at the end of April. An outbreak forced a public high school in Nerima Ward, Tokyo, to postpone an enrollment ceremony earlier this month, and 123 students were not allowed to attend school in Tokyo between January and March due to the disease.
(Source: The Japan Times 18 April 2007) Kuwait: Avian influenza, poultry Two outbreaks of Avian Influenza were reported in Kuwait, both occurred in the southern part of the state. The first one occurred in a poultry farm in Wafra, and the other was found near the Saudi border. Kuwait had culled around 1.7 million birds, banned import of live birds, closed down the country's zoo as well as poultry shops in residential areas since the first case was reported in February this year. Morocco: German traveller contracted Rabies Germany reported an imported case of Rabies from Morocco. The 55-year-old male patient was bitten in his left hand by a stray dog in Morocco 6 weeks ago. He then presented with fever, nausea, abnormal skin sensations of the left hand, headache and difficulty in swallowing. The patient was referred to the University Medical Centre of Hamburg, Germany on 18 April. New Caledonia: Dengue Fever Health officials in New Caledonia issued an alert against a possible epidemic of Dengue Fever after 2 cases had been reported in the territory. Paraguay: Dengue Fever Ministry of Health of Paraguay reported more than 25 000 cases of Dengue Fever from 1 January to 9 April 2007. To date, there were 52 cases of Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever and 13 deaths.
(Source: ProMED-mail 22 April 2007) Russia: Trichinellosis The number of people infected with Trichinellosis increased in the Krasnoyarsk region of Russia. In 2006, 37 cases of trichinellosis were registered in the region, while the total number of cases registered in Russia was 206. The source of infection was meat from wild animals.
[Editor's note: Trichinellosis, also called Trichinosis, is caused by eating raw or undercooked meat of animals infected with the larvae of a species of worm called Trichinella. The disease in humans is severe and frequently has a lethal outcome. The symptoms of the disease include fever, eye swelling, muscle pain and often skin rash, headaches, and diarrhoea. In severe case, patients may experience difficulty coordinating movements, and have heart and breathing problems.]
(Source: ProMED-mail 22 April 2007) Sudan: Cholera Sudan government reported that 5 218 people had exhibited Cholera -like symptoms of acute watery diarrhoea, and of whom 140 died. Hundreds of thousands of south Sudanese returning home after the peace deal were especially at risk because they often lived in crowded camps where infectious diseases could thrive.
(Source: ProMED-mail 20 April 2007) Sudan: Meningococcal Meningitis A Meningococcal Meningitis outbreak had swept across south Sudan since the start of 2007, more than 11 000 cases were reported with 661 deaths. Tanzania: Rift Valley Fever (update) A total of 89 people in Tanzania had so far died of Rift Valley Fever, of whom 56 were from the Dodoma Region. Around 250 people had contracted the disease since it was first reported in January this year. Dodoma was the most affected region, with 55 people still hospitalised.
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