Travel Health Service Year 2007

The Ministry of Health of the Mainland confirmed the father of a man from Jiangsu Province who died of H5N1 Avian Influenza on 2 December 2007 had also contracted the disease. The father developed symptoms 1 day after his son died.

In Kansas of USA, at least 87 people became ill with Campylobacteriosis after drinking raw, unpasteurised milk or cheese made by the milk. Health officials warned the public to be aware of the health risks of consuming raw milk.

[Editor's note: Campylobacteriosis is an intestinal infection caused by a group of different Campylobacter bacteria. Infection often causes diarrhoea, fever, abdominal pain, nausea, headache, and muscle pain. It is most often seen in outbreaks related to food especially undercooked chicken, unpasteurised milk and unchlorinated water]

In Iraq, 4,637 cases of Cholera with 24 deaths have been registered so far, mostly in Kirkuk and Sulaymaniyah in the north.
(Source: ProMED-mail 4 December 2007)

In Saudi Arabia, an outbreak of Avian Influenza was reported on an egg farm in the Al-Kharj region south of the capital Riyadh. Authorities have culled almost 60,000 birds on 3 December. All cases of Avian Influenza in the kingdom so far have come from the Riyadh province.

In Kenya, an outbreak of Cholera affecting more than 52 people including 3 deaths was reported on Nyanza Province.

In Blantyre of Malawi, 16 persons contracted Cholera and 1 persons died of the diseases over the past 1 week. A persistent water shortages that have hit the city as a result of breakdowns at the state-run water utility. The outbreak might be attributed to the fact that many Malawians have drunk water from unpurified well.

In Nigeria, outbreaks of Cholera in the southern state of Rivers and northern state of Plateau have claimed 11 and14 lives respectively.

In Somalia, 463 of cases of diarrhoeal disease including 13 deaths were reported on the southern part of the country. Samples taken from some of the victims confirmed the diagnosis of Cholera. The affected areas included Baidoa, Luuq, Middle Juba and Lower Juba.

In Uganda, 559 cases of Cholera including 12 deaths were reported on the western districts. The affected areas included Nebbi, Buliisa, Hoima and Kasese.

In Benin, an outbreak of Avian Influenza which killed 67 birds was reported on a farm in Cotonou. The remaining 241 birds in the farm were culled. In addition, another outbreak of the same disease which killed 33 birds was reported on a village in Adjara. The remaining 4 birds were culled.

As of 8 December, 104 cases of Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever including 25 deaths were reported on Uganda. All cases were reported on Bundibugyo District, except for 2 cases on Kampala.

In Uganda, there were recently 160 cases of Plague including 19 deaths in Arua and Nebbi counties.

An outbreak of Trypanosomiasis affecting 12 people was reported on Mayuge district of Uganda.
(Source: ProMED-mail 8 December 2007)

In Finland, as many as 15,000 people may have picked up stomach infections following the contamination of drinking water in Nokia last weekend. Some 250 of them have sought medical attention. Latest samples from some patients revealed the presence of both Salmonella and Campylobacterium. I was reported that treated waste water from the Nokia Sewage Treatment Plant had somehow made its way into the drinking water system due to human error.

In Dominican Republic, the water supply of Santo Domingo became contaminated after the tropical storm Noel and recent heavy rains. The water is not recommended for drinking, cooking or brushing teeth.