Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (14 August 2005)
In Brazil, the number of Dengue Fever cases was increasing in 19 states, mainly in the south and northern states, followed by northeast and west-Central regions. From January to May 2005, 79 674 cases had been notified, up 30% from the same period last year. Among the cases, 72 of them were Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever cases including 5 deaths.
(Source: ProMED-mail 11 August 2005)
Health department of Colorado of the USA confirmed 13 human cases of Q Fever this year. The source of infection was probably the diseased livestock.
(Source: ProMED-mail 10 August 2005)
[Editor’s Note: Q Fever is caused by the bacterium, Coxiella burnetii. It is usually an infection of sheep and cattle. Humans usually contract the disease by inhalation of dust containing these organisms. Incubation period is about 2-3 weeks. Symptoms include high fever, headache and profuse sweating etc. The disease is treatable with antibiotics.]
Russia: Avian Influenza, bird [update-2]
The highly pathogenic Avian Influenza Type A H5N1 virus were reported to have infected bird populations in Russia, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health. The disease had been reported in 13 villages in the Novosibirsk region in Siberia. The virus was believed to have been transmitted to domestic poultry from wild waterfowl. In Europe, there had been concern that the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus could be carried in by birds migrating from Russia.
(Source: ProMED-mail 11 August 2005)
In the capital Nouakchott of Mauritania, 240 people were infected in a Cholera outbreak.
In Liberia, more than 100 people were killed in a Cholera outbreak in Sinoe County.
In Democratic Republic of Congo, about 200 Cholera cases were identified in Goma.
In Guinea-Bissau, 5 300 cases and 83 deaths were reported since the outbreak of the Cholera 2 months ago. The most severely affected areas were the capital city of Bissau and the western region, Biombo.
(Source: ProMED-mail 12 August 2005)
Angola: Marburg Haemorrhagic Fever [update-14]
As of 8 August, a total of 324 people had died of Marburg Haemorrhagic Fever so far in the Uige province of Angola.
(Source: ProMED-mail 14 August 2005)
Kazakhstan: Avian Influenza, bird
An outbreak of Avian Influenza in geese was reported in northern Kazakhstan's Pavlodar region. The Agriculture Ministry of Kazakhstan confirmed that the virus found was the deadly H5N1 strain. Quarantine measures were in place in the affected area. As of 9 August, there had been no reports of new outbreak of the disease among poultry or wildfowl.
(Source: ProMED-mail 10/08/2005)
A total of 18 911 Malaria cases and 42 deaths were reported in May and June in Ethiopia. The mostly affected regions included Tigray, Amhara, Afar, Oromiya, Somali and Benshangul-Gumuz. Malaria is the third killer in Ethiopia, killing at least 100 000 people a year.
(Source: ProMED-mail 10 August 2005)
In Maharashtra of India, an outbreak of Leptospirosis in Mumbai and the Kalyan-Dombivli region in the neighboring Thane district had killed about 100 people in 2 days following torrential rains and subsequent floods last month.
(Source: ProMED-mail 11 August 2005)
In central Israel, a total of 117 students and staff of a high school were affected by Q Fever.
(Source: ProMED-mail 14 August 2005)
[Editor’s Note: Q Fever is caused by the bacterium, Coxiella burnetii. It is usually an infection of sheep and cattle. Humans usually contract the disease by inhalation of dust containing these organisms. Incubation period is about 2-3 weeks. Symptoms include high fever, headache and profuse sweating etc. The disease is treatable with antibiotics.]
Mainland: Streptococcus suis Infection [update]
In the Mainland, the Health Department of Sichuan Province reported 215 cases Streptococcus suis Infections in the province since late June, including 39 deaths.
(Source: Health Department of Sichuan Province 14 August 2005)
Cambodia: HK citizen contracted Dengue Fever
The Department of Health confirmed the eleventh case of imported Dengue Fever this year. The patient came back from Cambodia at the end of July and developed fever and headache few days later. He had recovered.
(Source: Department of Health, Hong Kong SAR 11 August 2005)
[Editor’s Note: Travellers to Cambodia should adopt anti-mosquito measures for health protections. Residents are encouraged to stay alert to the threat of Dengue Fever and help in the reduction of mosquito breeding sites.]
Indonesia: Hong Kong maid contracted Cholera
The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health confirmed another Cholera case imported from Indonesia. The Indonesian maid developed symptoms of diarrhoea and abdominal pain on 2 August. She was in stable condition.
(Source: Department of Health, Hong Kong SAR 13 August 2005)
In Iran, 56 people were diagnosed with Cholera and 3 more had died of the disease. Most of the patients were from Qom and Tehran.
In Pakistan, an outbreak of Cholera and gastroenteritis had killed 5 people in Swabi district. Furthermore, there were 6 027 Cholera cases with 60 deaths in Punjab last month.
In Maharashtra of India, about 3 000 people had been affected by Cholera, gastroenteritis and Dysentery.
(Source: ProMED-mail 12 August 2005)
In Indonesia, there were more than 38 000 cases of Dengue Fever so far this year, in which more than 500 were fatal. Jakarta and East Java were the worst hit provinces.
In the Philippines, more than 12 000 cases of Dengue Fever have been recorded, which was 15% higher compared to the same period last year. More than 150 people had died, in which 43% were children. Zamboanga City and Nueva Ecija were the worst hit areas.
In Vietnam, 5 500 Dengue Fever cases were reported in the southern Mekong Delta over the past month, raising the total number so far this year to more than 15 500, including 17 deaths.
(Source: ProMED-mail 11 August 2005, ASEAN Disease Surveillance 12 August 2005)