Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (22 August 2004)
As of late July, the Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China reported that there were totally 80 imported cases of malaria among those workers who came from Sichuen in 2004. These patients worked previously near the border between China and Myanmar. It was found that these cases might have contracted the disease there.
(Source: Mingpao Daily News 21/08/04)
The Spanish health authorities reported that an outbreak of legionnaires' disease in Barcelona has occurred in early August 2004. Twenty men and 7 women were ill. The health authorities said that 15 patients were still in hospital but their conditions were generally satisfactory. The outbreak had been traced back to the air conditioning system of a private clinic, which was shown to have a high concentration of the bacteria that caused the disease.
(Source: Promed-mail 20/08/04)
Hepatitis A : Belgium (Flemish region)
In July 2004, the health inspectorate of the Flemish Belgium community observed a sharp increase of hepatitis A cases. In Vlaams-Brabant province, 80 cases were reported in July compared with only 12 cases reported in the first six months this year. In Antwerp province, 172 cases were reported in July compared with only 32 cases reported in the first six months this year. It is suspected that the sources are food handlers with hepatitis A, possibly working in a meat processing plant that supplies meat to butcher's shops in these two provinces.
(Source: ProMED-mail 15/8/04)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States (US) reported that there were 703 cases of West Nile virus infection with 20 deaths occurred in the US this year. The states that reported cases included Arizona and California.
Travellers should take anti-mosquito measures precautions to avoid mosquito bites and minimize the risk of acquiring West Nile virus infection or other mosquito-borne diseases.
(Source: CDC, USA 19/8/04)
Avian influenza: Viet Nam [update]
As of 18 August, among the 3 fatal human cases of avian influenza in the present outbreak, 2 have been confirmed to be caused by the H5N1 strain after further testing. The most recent fatal case died on 6 August, and no new cases have been confirmed since then. However, doctors in Vietnam are still testing a 27 month old boy for avian influenza virus infection after he was admitted to the hospital in critical condition. Vietnam’s confirmed death toll from the disease this year has climbed to 19 after the 3 recent deaths.
(Source: ProMED-mail 18/8/04)