Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (24 July 2005)
India: Cholera and Gastroenteritis
In Punjab of India, 2 clinically compatible Cholera cases and nearly 100 gastroenteritis cases were reported recently.
(Source: ProMED-mail 22 July 2005)
Indonesia: Avian Influenza, human
The Ministry of Health in Indonesia reported that a 38-year old father who died on 12 July was the country's first laboratory-confirmed H5N1 positive human case of Avian Influenza. His 2 daughters died of severe pneumonia compatible with H5N1 infection. Three hundred people who had contact with the 3 victims did not show any symptoms at the moment.
(Source: World Health Organization 21 July 2005)
[Editor's Note: For more information on Avian Influenza, travellers may go to the Influenza page of Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health.]
Indonesia: Poliomyelitis [update-5]
In West Java and Banten provinces of Indonesia, 4 new Poliomyelitis cases were confirmed during last week, bringing the total number of cases to 153. Emergency vaccination campaign had been started to control the outbreak.
(Source: World Health Organization 21 July 2005)
Vietnam: Japanese Encephalitis
The central province of Thanh Hoa, Vietnam had initially contained the outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis which began in the locality in early May. No new cases of Japanese Encephalitis had been reported since early July.
(Source: ASEAN Disease Surveillance 19 July 2005)
In Singapore, the number of weekly Dengue Fever infections was rising continuously since early June and the number exceeded 300 cases per week this month. In 2005, 5812 cases of Dengue Fever and 210 cases of Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever were reported, a double and triple increase respectively when compared with same period last year.
(Source: Weekly Infectious Diseases Bulletin of Ministry of Health, Singapore 18 July 2005, ProMED-mail 22 July 2005)
[Editor’s Note: South-east Asia and South Asia are suffering from the resurgence of Dengue Fever in recent years. The risk of infection is present whole year round in tropical regions. Visitors should always take anti-mosquito measures during visits to these areas.]
In Zigong city of Sichuan province of the Mainland, health officials reported that more than 3 500 people were bitten by dogs since March this year. Ten of them died of Rabies.
The Ministry of Health of the Mainland reported a cluster of undiagnosed disease in Ziyang and Neijiang cities in Sichuan Province. As of 23 July, 58 cases (including 17 deaths) were identified. Patients were admitted to hospitals with fever, malaise, nausea, vomiting, haemorrhage beneath skin and shock. Health officials had initiated the investigation and control of the disease.
(Source: Ministry of Health, China 25 July 2005)
[Editor’s Note: Travellers are advised to clean and cover wounds properly, avoid contact with sick or dead animals, observe good personal, food and environmental hygiene, and consult doctors immediately if they become sick after returning home.]
In Novosibirsk region of southern part of Asian Russia, more than 500 domestic and wild birds died in a recent outbreak of Avian Influenza. Test result showed that the virus involved was of H5N2 strain. No human case had been reported.
(Source: ProMED-mail 21-23 July 2005)
Russia: Tick-borne Encephalitis
In Udmurtiya of Russia, local authority reported that 70 people including 4 children had been infected with Tick-borne Encephalitis in the first 6 months of 2005. The number of cases almost doubled that in the same period last year.
(Source: ProMED-mail 18 July 2005)
[Editor’s Note: Tick-borne encephalitis is a viral infection. It is transmitted by the bite of infective ticks or by consumption of infected milk. Incubation period ranges from 7-14 days. Symptoms include fever, vomiting and paralysis. Mortality rate is about 15-20%. Travellers should adopt measures similar to anti-mosquito measures to avoid tick bite and avoid consumption of unpasteurised milk.]
In Guinea-Bissau, 2 238 Cholera cases including 37 deaths had been confirmed since 11 June. The majority of the cases were located in the capital Bissau.
(Source: ProMED-mail 22 July 2005)
Central African Republic: Shigellosis
An outbreak of Shigellosis was reported in the northern part of Central African Republic since mid-May. As of 3 July, 73 cases (including 2 deaths) were identified.
(Source: Promed-mail 22 July 2005)
[Editor’s Note: Travellers should adopt good personal and food hygiene to prevent Shigellosis and other food-borne diseases.]
In Nyanza Province of Kenya, 43 people had developed symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting after consumption of fermented milk on 16 July. Out of whom, 4 children died within 6-10 hours after consumption. The majority of the rest were in stable condition.
(Source: ProMED-mail 19 July 2005)
In east Kazakhstan, a resident was admitted to hospital with Anthrax. Nine people having contact with the patient had been put under medical surveillance.
Belgium, France and Germany: Hantavirus Infection
An exceptionally large increase in Hantavirus Infection had been detected simultaneously in Belgium, France and Germany since the beginning of 2005.
In Belgium, 120 cases were reported in the first half of this year and the areas affected included Luxembourg province, Liege province and Namur province.
In France, 115 cases were reported in the first half of this year and the areas affected included Ardennes, Aisne and Jura Administrative Departments.
In Germany, 258 cases were reported in the first half of this year and the areas affected included the federal states of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Niedersachsen, Hessen, Baden-Wuerttemberg and Bayern.
(Source: ProMED-mail 22 July 2005)
USA: West Nile Virus Infection
As of 19 July, 41 human cases (including 1 death) of West Nile Virus Infection had been reported in the following states of the USA this year: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, South Dakota and Texas.
(Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA 19 July 2005)