Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (22 March 2004)
Tuberculosis: Global situation
The problem of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis is becoming more serious in parts of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, especially in Estonia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Uzbekistan Drug resistance in new patients there can be as high as 14%.
Other key areas identified are China, Ecuador, Israel, South Africa. In China, the situation is worst in Henan (10%) and Liaoning (8%) provinces.
Tuberculosis is primarily a disease of the respiratory system. It is spread by coughing and sneezing.
(Source: World Health Organisation 16/3/04)
According to the Disease Prevention and Research Centre of Mongolia, 2 cases of cutaneous anthrax were confirmed in Arhangay province in late June 2003. The victims were infected in the skin when having direct contact with diseased cow in ranches during the summer.
(Source: AQSIQ Outbreak Bulletin 12/3/04)
[Editor Note: Arhangay province is located in mid-west of Mongolia.]
Meningococcal meningitis : Burkina Faso
During the first 10 weeks of this year, Burkina Faso reported 2060 cases of the meningitis with 403 deaths.
The epidemic occurred in Diebougou in the southwest and Nanoro in the central region. The A strain of the meningococcus is prevalent in Diebougou, while the W135 strain is prevalent in Nanoro.
(Source: ProMED-mail 17/3/04)
[Editor Note: Travellers to Burkina Faso should receive the quadrivalent vaccine if vaccination against meningitis is indicated].
The government in the Netherlands has ordered the culling of 600 ducks on a farm in the central province of Utrecht after antibodies showed up that could indicate the birds were in contact with the avian influenza virus.
(Source : ProMED 17/3/04)
Avian Influenza A/H5: Asia [Update-5]
Outbreaks of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza have continued to affect Asian countries, including Cambodia and Thailand.
So far, 35 human cases are only reported in Vietnam and Thailand. One more death was reported respectively in Thailand and Vietnam, making a total of 24 deaths so far.
No new case of avian flu has been reported in China consecutively for 33 days. All the 49 affected sites have been removed from the list of affected areas on 16 March. The success in combating and controlling avian influenza was ascertained by the World Health Organization and OIE of United Nations. However, we must not drop down our guard as the disease can re-emerge any time. So long as there is outbreak occurring in other parts of Asia, importation of its virus will exist. Moreover, there are water fowls and migratory birds which can carry the virus.
(Source: World Health Organization 17/3/04, ProMED-mail 20/3/04, XinhuaNet 22/3/04)
[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.]
Dengue fever: Indonesia [update-4]
The death toll of dengue fever across Indonesia since January 2004 has increased to 455, while the number of sufferers has reached some 35 000.
While the situation in Jakarta is improving, other areas are worsening.
(Source: Central News Agency 17/3/04)
Cambodia's malaria cases jumped by 22.5 % last year to almost 132,600 cases. It was partly due to improvements in reporting and partly due to a lack of funding in controlling malaria.
(Source: Pro-MED mail 19/3/04)
The Korea Center for Disease Control reported on February 25 that 9 cases of cholera have been discovered in Thailand.
(Source: ProMED-mail17/3/04)
Since the beginning of December last year, there have been several clusters of cholera cases occurring in Burundi. As of 10 February, a total of 236 cases including 6 deaths has been reported in the provinces of Bubamza, Bujumbura, Bururi, and Citiboke.
In Cameroon, the Ministry of Health has reported a cholera outbreak centred around Douala with 514 cases and 13 deaths.
In Mali, a total of 280 new cholera cases with 33 deaths has been reported in the regions of Mopti, Segou, and Timbuctou so far this year.
In Mozambique, the cholera outbreak since December last year continues to rage. About 9,400 cases with 76 deaths have now been reported in 7 provinces (Gaza, Inhambane, Maputo, Nampula, Tete, Sofala, Zambezia).
In South Africa, the Department of Health has reported a cholera outbreak in Mpumalanga province, which borders Mozambique. As of 11 February, the cumulative number of cholera cases reached 179 with 5 deaths.
In Zambia, the cholera outbreak is still ongoing, mainly in Lusaka city. As of 9 February, over 3800 cases with 179 deaths have been reported.
(Source : World Health Organization 8/3/04)
According to the Disease Prevention and Research Centre of Mongolia, 6 cases of plague with 1 death were reported in August and September 2003. The provinces affected were Dzavhan, Hovd, Bayan-olgiy and Govi-Altay.
The one fatal case died of bubo- pneumonic plague and occurred in Govi-Altay province. The other 5 cases suffered from bubonic plague only. The source of infection is from marmot.
Plague caused by marmots is not rare in Mongolia and occurs almost every year in many parts of the country. Marmots are wild rodents that can spread plague to human beings if people play with sick rodents, eat the meat or are bitten by the animal or its flea vector.
(Source: AQSIQ Outbreak Bulletin 12/3/04)
[Editor Note: The four provinces are located in the western part of Mongolia. Travellers are advised to avoid contact with marmots and apply insect repellent to exposed skin to prevent flea bites while in infected provinces.]