Current Travel Health News

In Indonesia, the Ministry of Health announced 3 new human cases of H5N1 Avian Influenza infection.  The first case was a 32-year-old female from Tangerang who had consumed a chicken and some eggs from a market. The second case was a 16-year-old girl from Bekasi, an outskirt city of Jakarta, who died of the disease. She had consumed half-boiled eggs 2 weeks ago after scores of chicken died suddenly in her residence in the last 2 months. The third case was a 8-year-old boy who died of the disease.

The Ministry of Health of Singapore reported 6 cases of Chikungunya Fever. This was the first instance of local transmission of the disease in Singapore. The victims were living in close proximity to each other in the southeastern part of the city-state.

In Bangladesh, an outbreak of H5N1 Avian Influenza was reported on the backyard poultry in the southern coastal district of Barishal. The authorities culled more than 1 500 birds. Suspected outbreaks were also reported on 2 farm in northwestern Rajshahi district and northern Rangpur district respectively.

(Source: ProMED-mail 16 January 2008)

In West Bengal of India, an outbreak of Avian Influenza was confirmed in Birbhum and South Dinajpur Districts, which has subsequently spread to new areas of Birbhum and Murshidabad Districts.

(Source: ProMED-mail 15 and 17 January 2008)

The Ministry of Health of Brazil has confirmed 10 cases of human jungle Yellow Fever among the 30 suspected cases associated with the current outbreak among monkeys in the Central-Western part of the the country. Seven of the confirmed cases died of the diease. Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for people travelling to areas in Brazil at risk of yellow fever transmission.

In Peru, 8 persons from the region of Lambayeque contracted Anthrax after handling infected animals, one of them died of the disease.

(Source: ProMED-mail 16 January 2008)

In Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, 91 people suffering from Cholera and 3 related deaths were reported in Likasi, over 550 cases including 8 deaths were reported in Lubumbashi, another 150 cases including 5 deaths were reported in Bukama so far this year.

In Maryland County, Liberia, 299 cases of Cholera were reported.

In Malawi, 434 Cholera cases and 5 deaths have been reported on Mulanje, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Thyolo, Chiradzulu, Nsanje and Nkhotakota districts since the current outbreak that started on the 5 November 2007.

Outbreaks of Cholera were reported in Mozambique where Maputo and Matola cities were seriously hit by the disease with more than 800 cases reported since November last year. Other areas affected included Gaza province, Cabo Delgado province, Beira city and Guro district.

From 1 January to 28 October last year, 3 078 cases of Cholera with 19 deaths were reported in Mbacke Department of Senegal.

In Zimbabwe, more than 400 cases have been recorded in Mabvuku and Tafara, Harare Province.

(Source: ProMED-mail 14 and 18 January 2008)

In Ukraine, an outbreak of H5N1 Avian Influenza which killed more than 150 chickens was reported at a farm on Crimea peninsula.

(Source: ProMED-mail 18 January 2008)

In Iran, an outbreak of Avian Influenza which killed 14 chickens was reported in a village in Mazandaran. The remaining 475 birds were culled.  Avian Influenza was also detected among wild birds and domestic poultries in the vicinity of Anzali International Wetland in northern Iran.

(Source: World Organisation for Animal Health 16 January 2008 and ProMED-mail 19 January 2008)