Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (12 June 2005)
The Ministry of Health of Kenya reported 65 cholera cases including 3 deaths in the capital Nairobi. The source of infection was water from shallow water ponds which were contaminated by raw sewage.
(Source: ProMED-mail 11 June 2005)
Angola: Marburg hemorrhagic fever [update-10]
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that only 1 new case of Marburg hemorrhagic fever was reported in Uige during the past week. As of 5 June, a total of 423 confirmed or suspected cases were reported. Of these cases, 357 were fatal.
(Source: World Health Organization 7 June 2005)
[Editor Note: There is no vaccine available for the disease. Travellers should avoid visiting affected areas. Visitors should not contact with infected persons or consume bushmeat including primates. After returning, travellers should monitor their health for 10 days and seek medical advice promptly if symptoms of fever, watery diarrhea, malaise, muscle ache or nausea develop, and inform doctor recent travel history.]
Rickettsial spotted fever, a potentially fatal disease not previously seen in the Mainland Australia, had been identified in Adelaide's southern suburbs and Fleurieu Peninsula.
Four people had been confirmed with the disease, which might be linked to climate change or living close to native fauna where there might be a greater risk of tick bite.
(Source: ProMED-mail 6 June 2005)
[Editor Note: Rickettsial spotted fever may cause headache, muscle ache, lethargy and high fever. A spotted rash usually appears on the limbs and body. Victims can become very sick a few days later with the possibility of death. The infection is caused by Rickettsia microorganism found in ticks that infest lizards and other reptiles. The bacterium may cause disease through tick bites. Wearing long-sleeved clothings and using insect repellants may prevent tick bites.]
Taiwan: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
In Taiwan, 60 children had sufficed from Hand, Fast and Mouth Disease claimeing 5 lives so far this year. Over 50% of cases were caused by enterovirus EV71. The health authority had urged medical personnel and parents with young children to keep alert to prevent further spread of the disease. Enterovirus is transmitted via direct contact with secretions from an infected person or contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. Practising good personal hygiene is critical to the prevention of infections. (Source: ProMED-mail 11 June 2005)
Mainland (Guangzhou): Acute conjunctivitis
In Guangzhou, there was a marked increase in the number of acute conjunctivitis cases (red eye syndrome) recently. The People’s Hospital of Guangdong Province had treated 17 cases of acute conjunctivitis or complicated keratitis during a morning clinic session.
(Source: The Apple Daily News 9 June 2005)
[Editor Note: The outbreak of acute conjunctivitis in Guangzhou occurred one month earlier this year. People should wash hands frequently and avoid common use of towels and sunglasses. Patients with acute conjunctivitis should not attend public swimming pool.]
In the southern province of Chumphon, Thailand near the Myanmar border, 456 people had been tested positive for malaria and over 50 were admitted to hospitals.
(Source: ASEAN Disease Surveillance 6 June 2005)
Vietnam’s southern Mekong Delta had found over 6 700 cases of dengue fever, including 3 deaths for the first 5 months this year. Soc Trang and Dong Thap provinces reported the highest number of cases with about 1 000 each. In An Giang and Ben Tre provinces, the number of dengue fever patients was increasing.
(Source: ASEAN Disease Surveillance 6 June 2005)
Asia: Avian influenza [update-39]
The Ministry of Health of Vietnam confirmed an additional 3 human H5N1 avian flu cases. The newly confirmed cases brought the total in Vietnam since mid-December 2003 to 52 cases. Of these patients, 18 died and 2 were currently being treated in hospital.
In Tacheng city of the Xinjiang autonomous region of the Mainland, the Ministry of Agriculture reported that over 1 000 geese were found to have contracted H5N1 avian influenza virus and nearly half of them were dead. Over 13 000 poultries nearby were destroyed.
(Source: World Health Organization, ProMED-mail 8 June 2005)
An outbreak of poliomyelitis occurred in Indonesia. More new cases were reported recently, making a total of 34 cases so far. The cases were reported from West Java districts and the virus was found to be originated from western Africa. A polio immunisation campaign was conducted, covering West Java, Jakarta and Banten provinces.
(Source: World Health Organization 6-9 June 2005)