Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (4 December 2005)
Russia: Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome
As of 18 November, 239 cases of Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome had been reported in the Orenburg region, Russia. The outbreak began in the beginning of September and 5 deaths were recorded so far.
(Source: ProMED-mail 29 November 2005)
In Russia, 21 more people with symptoms of Hepatitis A virus infection were hospitalised in Nizhniy Novgorod on 29 November. The hepatitis rate in the city was 2 to 3 times higher than the regional average. Since the beginning of the epidemic, 3 053 persons including 644 children had been admitted to hospital.
(Source: ProMED-mail 1 December 2005)
As of 22 November, 53 suspected cases of Yellow Fever including 23 deaths were reported in the Bafoulabe district of Kayes region of Mali. A mass vaccination campaign had been launched in the district to control the outbreak.
(Source: World Health Organization 28 November 2005)
In Sudan, the number of reported cases of Yellow Fever had reached 530, including 131 deaths. These cases occurred in various areas in South Kordofan State (Abu Jibeha, Abyei, Dilling, Kadugli, Lagawa, Rashad and Talodi).
(Source: World Health Organization 28 November 2005)
In Karachi of Pakistan, an outbreak of Dengue Fever killed at least 5 people and infected 40 others.
In Malaysia, the number of Dengue cases dropped to 649 last week. Of these cases, 22 were Haemorrhagic Dengue.
(Source: ProMED-mail 30 November 2005)
Ukraine: Avian Influenza, bird
Ukraine was to begin culling birds in Crimea after an H5-type Avian Influenza virus was detected in the area. Confirmation of H5N1 strain was pending.
(Source: ProMED-mail 4 December 2005)
Romania: Avian Influenza, bird [update-3]
In Romania, 3 new Avian Influenza outbreaks had been confirmed, with 2 in Braila county and 1 in Tulcea county. The sites were now quarantined and the fowls were killed.
(Source: ProMED-mail 2 December 2005)
Health authority in Indonesia had confirmed two further cases of human infection with H5N1 Avian Influenza. The first case was a 16-year-old boy from West Java Province. He developed symptoms on 6 November and was hospitalised on 16 November in stable condition. He had two brothers who died with similar symptoms days before he was taken to hospital. The other was a 25-year-old woman who had been treated in Jakarta's hospital and died on 29 November. Seven fatalities from the H5N1 strain of Avian Influenza had been confirmed by the World Health Organization. Another 5 people had been confirmed to have contracted the virus but had survived.
The authority had so far confirmed that the deadly H5N1 strain of virus had infected fowls in 23 out of 33 provinces in the country.
(Source: World Health Organization 29 November 2005 and ProMED-mail 28 & 30 November 2005)
In Mainland, officials had reported 25 fresh outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza in poultry in 9 provinces since mid-October. In addition, 3 human cases of infection had been reported, of which 2 were fatal.
(Source: World Health Organization 29 November 2005)