Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (8 February 2004)
Hong Kong SAR ex-Thailand: Cholera, imported
One imported case of cholera was reported by the Department of Health on 3 February 2004. This is the first confirmed case this year.
The patient travelled with a tour group of 30 people to Thailand in late-January for five days. She complained of painless watery diarrhoea three days after returning to Hong Kong. She was admitted to hospital and her stool was confirmed to be positive for Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor Inaba. She is now in stable condition.
One of her travel collaterals also developed diarrhoea two days after returning but his diarrhoea has already subsided. Other travel collaterals and home contacts were all asymptomatic.
(Source: Department of Health, HKSAR 3 February 2004)
The Health Authority of Venezuela reported 157 cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever out of the 1,863 cases of dengue fever in the first two weeks of the new year.
The number of dengue fever cases represents an increase of 70% over same period last year. Of the 24 states, 13 have reported increasing number of cases. The capital Caracas and Sucre are the two most seriously affected states.
(Source: Xinhuanet 30 January 2004)
[Editor Note: Travellers to South Americas should adopt anti-mosquito measures. Should fever develop within 2 weeks on return, they should suspect dengue and seek medical attention immediately, and inform travel history.]
As of 8 Feb 2004, there were 4 confirmed cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) reported in the Guangdong province. All the cases occurred in Guangzhou and all recovered. The last case was discharged from hospital on Jan 31.
All the contacts of the cases did not exhibit symptoms and signs of the disease.
(Source: Ministry of Health P.R. China 9/2/04)
[Editor Note: No new case of SARS infection was reported for 9 consecutive days in the Guangdong province. According to the investigation thereat, linkages on the source of infection for the first 3 confirmed cases have been found. At the present moment, World Health Organization indicated that travel advisory will not be posed against travel to Guangdong.]
The Health officials in the US state of Delaware confirmed an outbreak of avian influenza. The outbreak was caused by avian influenza H7N7.
(Source: ProMED-mail 7 February 2004)
Asia: Avian influenza A/H5 [update]
Outbreaks of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza have continued to affect Asian countries. In total, eight countries have so far been affected, viz South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Indonesia.
Up to now, human cases are only reported in Vietnam and Thailand. Investigation of possible human-to-human transmission in Vietnam did not detect any human genetic component in the avian influenza sample from one of the two sisters who died earlier.
As for the detection of avian influenza, virus in the upper respiratory tract of pigs in Vietnam, investigation confirms that the pigs had not been infected with the dreadful disease.
The world Health Organization has not imposed travel restriction on any of the affected countries.
(Source: World Health Organization 8 February 2004)
[Editor Note: Travellers going to affected areas should avoid visit to live bird markets and poultry farms. They should avoid contact with live poultry and birds and wash hand thoroughly with soap and water after contact. They should observe good food hygiene and consume only thoroughly cooked poultry products and eggs.]