Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (10 April 2005)
In the Cobachi community, La Colorada of Mexico, a 59-year-old man died of dengue haemorrhagic fever in late March. The patient was the fourth case in Sonora State infected with dengue virus and was the first one to die of the disease this season.
(Source: ProMED-mail 8/4/05)
In Colombia, there was an outbreak of yellow fever in the bordering municipalities in Putumayo and Caqueta.
There was also a case of yellow fever in Sucumbios of Ecuador. Massive vaccination programme and cleaning campaign would be conducted in Ecuador for preventing the spread of the disease.
(Source: ProMED-mail 3/4/05)
Central Africa: Meningococcal disease
In Sarf Omra, North Darfur state of Sudan, 71 suspected cases of meningococcal disease including 5 deaths had been reported as of late March. Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W135 had been identified in specimens collected.
WHO also reported recent epidemics of meningococcal disease in southwest Chad. Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A was the main causative agent.
(Source: World Health Organization 8/4/05)
During the week of late March – early April, the Ministry of Health of Senegal reported nearly 3,500 cholera cases including 54 deaths. About half of the cases were reported in the city of Touba, 200km east of the capital Dakar, to which an annual Muslim pilgrimage had drawn more than a million people a week ago. The outbreak had then spread to other regions of the country, as well as its neighbouring country Gambia.
(Source: World Health Organization 8/4/05)
Angola: Marburg haemorrhagic fever [update-3]
The outbreak of Marburg haemorrhagic fever continued to affect Angola and a total of 180 deaths from 205 cases were reported so far. The provinces affected include the capital Luanda, Uige, Cabinda, Malange, Zaire, Kuanza Norte and Kuanza Sul. All cases were thought to have originated in Uige.
One suspected death was under investigation in neighbouring Democratic republic of Congo where 123 people had been killed during the Marburg outbreak in 1998.
In South Africa, two suspected cases of Marburg virus disease were reported. One of the victims had travelled to Angola before the onset of symptoms.
(Source: ProMED-mail 3/4/05, World Health Organization 8/4/05)
Editor Note: The outbreak in Angola appears to be worsening. Travellers to affected areas should be alert on the latest development and adopt preventive measures
Macao is on high alert of dengue fever, which is very likely to break out this summer. The Macao Health Bureau warned residents that the disease would probably re-emerge this year, as dengue fever usually breaks out every three to four years. The bureau would mobilise a large crowd of volunteer workers to aid the preventive activities of dengue fever.
(Source: ASEAN Disease Surveillance 6/4/05)
Indonesia: Malaria, dengue fever
In Maluku of Indonesia, malaria had affected more than 700 residents over the past two weeks, resulting in 16 deaths. Most of the affected people were women and children.
In addition, the United States medical team in Indonesia said that the islands affected by the earthquakes occurred in the outer sea of Indonesia two weeks ago were at risk of malaria outbreaks. Thousands of injured people needed medical assistance to prevent the spread of malaria.
In Hong Kong, the Department of Health confirmed an imported case of dengue fever. The patient travelled to Indonesia in March for 2 weeks and developed symptoms of fever and headache in late March. He was subsequently discharged from hospital.
(Source: ASEAN Disease Surveillance 6/4/0, Central News Agency 7/4/05 & Department of Health, HKSAR 2/4/05)
[Editor Note: Travellers to Indonesia should adopt anti-mosquito measures for health protections. They should consider taking anti-malarial medical prophylaxis when visiting malaria areas and seek advice from travel health practitioners.]
Asia: Avian influenza [update-32]
In Cambodia, another fatal case of H5 avian influenza was reported in the southern province of Kampot bordering Vietnam, making a total of 3 fatal cases so far. North Korea officially confirmed its first outbreak of avian influenza in 3 chicken farms at Pyongyang was caused by subtype H7. So far, no human infection had been detected and the outbreak was officially claimed to be under control. Vietnam confirmed another case of death in Hanoi, making a total of 36 cases of H5N1 avian influenza and 16 cases of death since December last year. So far, Hanoi, Haiphong, Quang Binh, Nam Dinh, Quang Ninh, Ben Tre and Tra Vinh provinces were still affected by the virus. Since the outbreak of avian influenza in late 2003, a total of 51 deaths were reported in Asia: 36 cases in Vietnam, 12 cases in Thailand, and 3 cases in Cambodia.
(Source: World Health Organization 4/4/05, ASEAN Disease Surveillance 8/4/05, ProMED-mail 10/4/05)
[Editor Note: For more information on avian influenza, travellers may also go to the influenza page of Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health.]