Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (7 November 2005)
In India, the outbreak of Japanese encephalitis in Uttar Pradesh affected more than 4 900 people since July. The death toll climbed up to 1 302, and most of them were children under the age of 15.
(Source: ProMED-mail 5 November 2005)
In Ludhiana, India, more than 100 suspected and confirmed patients with Dengue Fever had been reported. Five people had died in October 2005.
In New Delhi the total number of cases rose to 463. The highest number of cases has been reported from west zone of the city, followed by central zone.
In Mumbai, the number of cases of the disease was increasing across the city and 3 fatal cases were reported.
(Source: ProMED-mail 30 October 2005)
Suspected Dengue Fever cases in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia rose from 114 to 128 in October with 81 deaths. The total cases toll was 32 126 this year. Other states which saw an increase were Sabah, Malacca, Perlis and Putrajaya.
(Source: ProMED-mail 30 October 2005)
Bangladesh: Hong Kong traveller contracted Dengue Fever
The Department of Health confirmed the twenty-third imported case of Dengue Fever this year. The patient was being infected in Bangladesh and developed fever, chills, headache, muscle pain and eye pain. She returned to Hong Kong for treatment in late October and had now recovered.
(Source: Department of Health, Hong Kong SAR 1 November 2005)
Thailand: Avian Influenza, human [update]
The Ministry of Public Health of Thailand had confirmed an additional case of human infection with H5N1 Avian Influenza virus affecting a 50-year-old woman. On 23 October, she visited her husband in Nonthaburi Province, north of Bangkok, where backyard chickens had died few days earlier. She developed symptoms on 26 October and was hospitalised. The woman was the third confirmed case reported in Thailand in the past month.
(Source: World Health Organization 1 November 2005)
In Ibaraki prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, chickens in a farm were tested positive for Avian Influenza virus, the strain of which had not been confirmed. Local officials were planning to cull all of its 82 000 chickens.
(Source: ProMED-mail 31 October 2005)
In Russia, 10 outbreaks of Avian Influenza had been confirmed in rural communities across Russia and another 19 were being verified. The confirmed outbreak sites were in the central regions of Tula and Tambov, the Chelyabinsk region of Urals Federal District and Omsk and Altai in Siberia. Kurgan region was the worst affected, with 3 confirmed and 3 suspected outbreak sites.
(Source: ProMED-mail 31 October 2005)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, bird
In Mainland, the Ministry of Agriculture notified an outbreak of H5N1 Avian Influenza at the Badaohao Town of the Heishan County in Liaoning Province on 3 November, causing the death of 8 940 chicken. Health measures including vaccination of the poultry, isolation, culling and disinfection had been undertaken immediately by local authority.
(Source: Ministry of Agriculture, China 3 November 2005)
As of 30 October, the health officials of Guinea had reported 9 suspected cases of Yellow Fever in the regions of Boké, Kankan, N'Zérékoré, Faranah and Conakry city. Samples from the 9 cases had been sent for final confirmation.
(Source: World Health Organization 2 November 2005)
As of 31 October, there were two reported deaths from Yellow Fever in the region of Kayes in Mali. One was confirmed case affecting a boy of 3 years old. Plans were under way to extend the vaccination coverage to more districts in the region.
(Source: World Health Organization 3 November 2005)