Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (25 December 2005)
Vietnam: Avian Influenza, bird [update]
In Vietnam, 12 provinces still officially had animals infected with Avian Influenza: Cao Bang, Ninh Binh, Son La, Thai Nguyen, Hai Phong, Vinh Phuc, Quang Ninh, Yen Bai, Ha Giang and Bac Kan in the north and Thanh Hoa and Nghe An in the central region. Vaccination for the poultry was still ongoing.
(Source: ProMED-mail 20 December 2005)
Thailand and Cambodia: Hong Kong travellers contracted Dengue Fever
The Department of Health confirmed two imported cases of Dengue Fever, bringing to 31 cases so far this year. They complained of fever, headache, eyeball, joint and muscle pain. They had respectively travelled to Thailand and Cambodia before onset of symptoms.
(Source: Department of Health, Hong Kong SAR 19 & 21 December 2005)
Indonesia: Avian Influenza, human [update-11]
The Ministry of Health in Indonesia had confirmed two additional cases of human infection with the H5N1 Avian Influenza virus. The first case was an 8-year-old boy from Central Jakarta. He developed symptoms of fever and cough on 8 December, and died on 15 December. The second case affected a 39-year-old man from East Jakarta. He first reported symptoms of fever, headache, cough and shortness of breath on 9 December. He died on 12 December. These newly confirmed cases bring the total case number to 16. Among the cases, 11 were fatal.
(Source: World Health Organization 23 December 2005)
In Malawi, 166 cases of Cholera with 3 deaths had been reported so far this year. Affected districts include Mangochi, Dedza, Blantyre, Thyolo and Chikwawa.
(Source: ProMED-mail 23 December 2005)
As of 19 December, the Ministry of Health of Guinea had reported a total of 114 suspected cases of Yellow Fever with 26 deaths, since the beginning of the year. Twenty-three of these cases had been laboratory confirmed. Boké was the most affected region. A mass vaccination campaign would be carried out in 4 high risk districts (Boké, Boffa, Gaoual and Koundara).
(Source: World Health Organization 19 December 2005)