Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (20 March 2005)
Angola: Acute hemorrhagic fever syndrome
In the past three months, 77 deaths of suspected Acute Haemorrhagic Fever Syndrome have been reported from Uige Province in northern Angola. Most of the victims were children with symptoms including fever, vomiting and diarrhea. A task force has been established and laboratory samples had been collected for analysis. Infection due to Ebola virus was ruled out by the health officials at this moment.
(Source: World Health Organization 17/3/05 & ProMED-mail 18/3/05)
More than 60,000 people in Nepal had contracted HIV and nearly 5,000 had full-blown AIDS. Most of the persons suffering from AIDS were in the age group of 20-24 years and they got the disease mainly due to unsafe sexual practices and injection of drugs.
(Source: ASEAN Disease Surveillance 15/3/05)
Sri Lanka: Suspected myocarditis
Health authority reported that suspected cases of Myocarditis of unknown aetiology in Uva province continued to be detected, although a decline in the number of cases recorded in recent weeks. Enhanced infection control has currently been implemented.
(Source: World Health Organization 17/3/05)
Mainland: Communicable diseases alert
According to the National Surveillance Network of Notifiable Communicable Diseases, in February 2005, there was no reported case of SARS and Avian Influenza. The Influenza activity showed a decreasing trend, but the incidences of measles, Meningococcal Meningitis and mumps increased by 151%, 8.5% and 105% respectively when compared to the same period of last year.
The public has been reminded that spring is their prevalent season and to keep themselves warm, maintain good indoor ventilation, observe personal hygiene and exercise regularly. They should seek medical advice immediately if they develop respiratory symptoms like fever, headache and coughing; and take appropriate protective measures when contacting patients with respiratory infections.
(Source: Ministry of Health, China 15/3/05)
Taiwan: Alert for malaria & dengue fever when travel to Southeast Asia
Up to mid-March, there were 2 imported cases of malaria and 5 imported cases of Dengue Fever, all contracted from Southeast Asia. The 2 Malaria cases contracted during travelling in Philippines while the 5 dengue cases in Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia.
(Source: Center for Control of Disease, Taiwan 11/3/05)
The Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that a 32-year-old man was infected with Viral Meningitis in Seoul. The health authorities warned that the disease had become a risk, adding that washing hands thoroughly was the best preventive measures.
(Source: JoongAng Daily & ASEAN Disease Surveillance 15/3/05)
[Editor Note: Travellers to South Korea should maintain good personal hygiene. They should wash hands frequently and avoid crowded places as well as close contact with patients having fever.]
According to the Minister of Health of Singapore, there were over 300 new cases of AIDS in Singapore last year. It showed an increase of 28%, compared with 2003, making up the total cases to over 2,000 since the initiation of statistics in 1985.
Of the new patients, 90% were male, and one third was homosexual. For every new AIDS patient screened out, there could have been 2 or 4 more HIV carriers. This means that there may be over 4,000 to 8,000 AIDS patients in Singapore.
(Source: Central News Agency 11/3/05)
Indonesia and Timor-Leste: HK visitor contracted dengue fever
The Department of Health confirmed an imported case of Dengue Fever. The patient travelled to Indonesia and Timor-Leste in February for 3 weeks and developed fever, eye pain and muscle pain in late February. He was subsequently discharged from hospital.
(Source: Department of Health, HKSAR 16/3/05)
In Indonesia, the number of Dengue Fever cases decreased steadily in Jakarta during the past few weeks. However, some districts still had an increasing number of dengue cases, like Pademangan and Palmerah in Central Jakarta. So far this year, nearly 4,000 people had been infected including 26 deaths.
In Singapore, Dengue Fever activities had been decreasing in March. The number of cases decreased from the peak level of more than 250 per week to 160 recently. However, the level was still high when comparing with the 60 cases in the same period last year.
In Malaysia, Dengue Fever decreased sharply in the ninth week of this year by 30%. All states recorded a decrease except Sabah. Nearly 4,000 people had been infected with dengue since the beginning of January, with 26 deaths.
(Source: ASEAN Diseases Surveillance 10/3/05 & Central News Agency 16/3/05)
Asia: Avian influenza [update-29]
Vietnam has confirmed 25 human cases of Avian Influenza including 13 fatalities since mid-December 2004. Two new suspected cases of bird flu have been reported since the last update. One is from northern Bac Ninh province. The other is a five-year-old child from central Quang Binh province whose 13-year-old sister had died from an unidentified cause. The family had consumed a sick chicken 10 days prior to her demise.
In mid-March, a man from the southern province of Kien Giang might also have been killed by the bird flu virus, and bird flu outbreaks broke out on four chicken farms in Hung Dao commune of northern Hai Phong port city's Kien Thuy district.
Final testing of bird flu for the 46-year-old female nurse from Thai Binh was negative for H5N1 revealing that she had not been infected.
In North Korea, following a suspected outbreak of bird flu last month at the main chicken farm in Pyongyang, the capital, the South Korean and Japanese governments had suspended importation of North Korean poultry. North Korean officials have not confirmed the outbreak of the bird flu.
Indonesia had confirmed an outbreak of bird flu in West Java and South Sulawesi provinces in January and February respectively. No human cases had been reported.
In the Mainland, officials announced they would closely monitor the movement of migratory birds from bird flu-affected countries so as to prevent their spread of bird flu into China.
World Health Organization (WHO) said there was no evidence so far to suggest the virus was changing into a form that could be transmitted easily from one human to another. Various countries are preparing contingency plans for a possible pandemic flu. Britain and America had begun stockpiling anti-flu drugs and vaccines.
(Source: ASEAN Diseases Surveillance 15, 17-18/3/05, ProMED-mail 15-17/3/05 & ChinaNews 16/3/05)
Health Tips for Easter holidays
The Easter Holiday is coming, and many will travel outside Hong Kong. This Service would like to remind the public and the travel industry of the health risks associated with travel, so as to enable travellers enjoy a safe and healthy trip.
Of the popular destinations, Japan encountered a serious bout of Hay Fever in spring this year. South Korea just reported an increase in viral Meningitis cases.
As for risks of food-borne disease e.g. Cholera, Typhoid, Hepatitis A and vector-borne disease like Dengue Fever, Malaria exist all year round. In Latin America and Africa, there is an additional risk of contracting Yellow Fever.
Other health risks to note are:-
Ø In areas endemic of rabies, avoid contact with wild animals or domestic pets.
Ø In areas with cold climate, prepare enough warm clothing and avoid exhaustion to minimize the risk of getting upper respiratory tract infection or influenza.
Ø Unsafe sex. Using condom correctly can lower the chance of getting Sexually Transmitted Diseases. But still the best thing is to avoid promiscuity and never have sex with strangers.
In general, prevention starts before the trip. Precautionary measures include:-
Ø Endeavour to understand more the health risks of your destinations and their preventive measures;
Ø Get vaccinated if indicated;
Ø Bring along preventive medications and paraphernalia;
Ø As some vaccines may not become effective immediately, one should allow enough time for vaccination.
On return, travellers should be aware that there is a chance that they might bring back infections and spread to the community. To minimise the risk, please:-
Ø Seek medical attention if you have diarrhoea, stomach pain, fever or rash after trip;
Ø Remember to inform doctor your travel history so as to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Plague [update -4]
Another 16 suspected cases of Plague, including 3 deaths had been reported in Zobia, Oriental province since last report a week ago (see 13 Mar 05 Digest). About 363 contacts had been traced and suspected cases were being treated in isolation treatment centres.
(Source: World Health Organization 15 March 2005)