Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (15 February 2004)
During last year, 96 Angolans died of trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness, out of the 3115 people being affected. Another 270,000 were suspected to be suffering from the disease.
Of the country’s 18 provinces, 14 were affected, including Bengo, Kwanza north and Kwanza south, Luanda, Malange, Uige and Zaire. These 7 northern provinces had destroyed about 1 million tsetse flies, the disease vector.
Compared with last report (see 9 February 2003 Digest), the disease has spread much further from the Uige to other provinces, including the capital Luanda.
(Source: ProMED-mail 8 February 2004)
[Editor Note: African trypanosomiasis is caused by the bite of an infective tsetse fly, Glossina, which carries the protozoa, Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiene or T. b. gambiense. T. b. rhodesiene causes a virulent, rapidly progressive disease and is found in east Africa. T. b. gambiense causes a more chronic disease and is found mainly in west and central Africa. Both forms are fatal without treatment.
Symptoms include a painful sore at the bite site, fever, intense headache, insomnia, painless enlarged lymph nodes, anaemia, local oedema and rash. Later, there is body wasting, somnolence and neurological signs.
Travellers to affected areas should use an insect repellent, cover exposed parts of the body, and avoid wearing the colour blue which attract tsetse flies.]
During the first 5 weeks of the year, Bangladesh has reported a total of 42 cases and 14 deaths attributed to Nipah-like virus infections in the Manikganj and Rajbari provinces. Another 45 cases are under investigatin.
(Source: World Health Organization 12 February 2004)
[Editor Note: Manikgani and Rajbari provinces are located at about 30km and 60km east of capital Dhaka respectively. In Bangladesh, the first Nipah-like virus infection occurred in 2001 at Rajbari.
Nipah-like virus is mainly transmitted through direct contact with infected pigs. Disease symptoms include: fever, sore throat, dizziness and disorientation. Severe disease can lead to coma and death. There is no evidence for person to person transmission.
Outbound travellers to affected areas are advised to avoid contact with swine and washing hands and exposed body parts with soap before leaving pig farms.]
Hong Kong SAR, ex-Thailand, ex-Laos: Dengue Fever
One imported case of dengue fever was confirmed by the Department of Health, making a total of 6 imported cases so far.
The patient travelled to Thailand and Laos in early January for 25 days. He complained of fever, chills, headache and malaise three days before he returned to Hong Kong. He was later confirmed to have dengue fever and now recovered. He recalled mosquito bites in Thailand and Laos.
(Source: Department of Health, HKSAR 13 February 2004)
[Editor Note: Travellers to South Asia and South East Asia 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.]
Asia: Avian influenza A/H5[update-2]
Outbreaks of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza have continued to affect Asian countries. More farms and people are being affected.
Up to now, human cases are only reported in Vietnam and Thailand. As at February 13, 27 cases have been confirmed. Human to human transmission has so far not been covered.
The World Health Organization continues to advice that there is no travel restriction on any of the affected countries.
(Source: World Health Organization 1 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.]