Current Travel Health News

Shenzhen reported the first case of Streptococcus suis infection in this year. It is a potentially fatal disease that occurs mainly among those who slaughter infected pigs or process contaminated pork.

In the first 6 months of 2007, about 3 000 people were infected with Dengue Fever in Myanmar and 30 people died of the disease.

In Vietnam, up till now, there were 32 900 cases of Dengue Fever cases (40% more compared with figures of same period in 2006). Among them, 34 had died.

Up to 14 July, Malaysia has confirmed around 28 000 cases of Dengue Fever. In the same period of 2006, there were 18 400 cases.

Thailand confirmed 19 000 cases of Dengue Fever and 18 deaths in the first half of 2007.

A total of 114,000 Dengue Fever cases, with 1,100 deaths have been reported in Indonesia so far this year. Health official expected the number of cases to rise to some 200,000 cases, twice last year's total.

(Source: Xinhuanet 24 July 2007 and ASEAN Disease Surveillance 27 July 2007)

In Central Java of Indonesia, an outbreak of undiagnosed illness has killed 8 people among the 30 victims in the remote Kanigoro village. All the victims presented with similar symptoms such as severe nausea and convulsion. The 8 people died because of delayed treatment. So far, the hospital has discharged 9 people, and of the remaining 13 people in hospital, 2 were in critical condition. The cause of the outbreak was still under investigation.  

(Source: ASEAN Disease Surveillance 27 July 2007)

In Philippines, an outbreak of Measles affecting at least 50 people was reported in Zamboanga City. Another outbreak was also reported in the neighbouring Basilan Province.

(Source: ProMED-mail 25 July 2007)

In Vietnam, Animal Health Department reported a new outbreak of H5N1 Avian Influenza which killed 220 ducks in a farm in the central province of Quang Binh.

(Source: ASEAN Disease Surveillance Network 24 July 2007)

In United Kingdom, the authority confirmed 5 cases of acute Q Fever from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire district with onset dates between the end of May and 14 June 2007. There has been no case reported in Gloucestershire since 2002.

(Source: ProMED-mail 23 July 2007)

Up till 22 July, health authority in California has confirmed 27 human cases of West Nile Virus Infection, including one death.

In India, a new poultry outbreak of H5N1 Avian Influenza was reported in the northeastern state of Manipur.

In India, 3 more Chikungunya Fever cases have been reported in New Dehli, making the grand total of such cases registered so far to 11. One case was from Delhi and the other 10 cases were from areas outside Delhi. In Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, there were 3 788 cases of viral fever where 23 cases were suspected to have infected with Chikungunya virus. Peroorkada, north to Thiruvananthapuram, also reported a few suspected and confirmed cases of Chikungunya Fever.

In Assam of India, an outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis has been reported in Sivasagar, Dibruagarh, Tinsukia, Lakhimpur and Dhemaji during the past one month. The most affected district was Sivasagar. Among the 160 deaths in the 5 districts, 66 were confirmed cases and 21 of them were children.

Medical authorities in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh of India have confirmed 12 patients with Typhus Fever, while the confirmation of the specific type of Typhus Fever was pending. .No death has been reported so far. Patients suffering from the disease reported symptoms of moderate headache, fever, and shivering.

(Source: ProMED-mail 23 July 2007)

Following the military coup d'état on 5 December 2006, the security situation in Fiji has remained uncertain. The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affair and Trade advised New Zealanders in Fiji to continue to exercise caution despite Fiji was calm, as a rapid deterioration of the situation could not be ruled out. There were indications that crime levels were increasing in Fiji. Robbery, theft and incidents of assault have been reported by locals and tourists alike, with most occurring at night and in urban areas.

(Source: New Zealand Safe Travel 27 July 2007)

Hundreds of new Leprosy cases were reported recently in Katanga Province of Democratic Republic of Congo, which contrasts with the current worldwide trend of decreasing incidence.

[Editor note: Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. It produces skin lesions that, if left untreated, can be progressive and cause permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. It is treatable with Dapsone.]

In Zimbabwe, a diarrhoeal outbreak has claimed 31 lives in rural Gokwe since last month. The most affected were children aged below 5. Rotavirus infection was suspected.

(Source: ProMED-mail 27 July 2007)