Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (27 March 2005)
World Tuberculosis Day 2005To combat Tuberculosis (TB), 24 March was designated by World Health Organization (WHO) as the World Tuberculosis Day since 1982. On estimation, TB kills four people worldwide every minute.
According to WHO West Pacific Regional Office, it causes more deaths than all the other infectious diseases added together in Asia. One million people with tuberculosis go unnoticed every year, and one third of these cases will continue to infect up to 15 people each.
In China, 4.5 million cases of TB were recorded countrywide, 80% of the cases occurred in rural areas. Each year, about 1.45 million new infections were reported and 130,000 lives were claimed.
In Vietnam, 100,000 active TB cases were reported last year, a 7% rise over 2003. On average, 20,000 peoples’ lives were claimed annually in recent years.
(Source: ASEAN Diseases Surveillance 22-23/3/05, China News 23/3/05 & China Daily 23/3/05)
Angola: Marburg virus disease [update]
The viral hemorrhagic fever disease outbreak in Angola that had affected 132 people with 122 deaths was caused by Marburg virus. The outbreak first started in Uige province and the capital Luanda was later affected with 3 deaths, but all of them had come from Uige province.
(Source: ProMED-mail 22, 24, 27/3/05)
[Editor Note: Marburg virus belongs to the same family as Ebola virus. The disease is very contagious and transmitted through contact with blood or body fluids of affected people. The incubation period is 2-7 days and the symptoms include high fever, headaches, vomiting, diarrhoea and hemorrhagic tendency. Most fatal cases are children under five.
Travelers should be aware of the risk when in the affected areas. If they have to go to the affected areas, they should maintain good personal and environmental hygiene and avoid contact with blood or body fluids of sick people.]
Africa: Meningoccocal meningitis
In Chad, the Ministry of Health reported nearly 400 cases of Meningoccocal Meningitis including 53 deaths since the beginning of this year to mid-March. Half of the cases came from Bongor and Moissal.
In Sudan, as of the week of 14-20 March, there were 27 cases of Meningoccocal Meningitis reported from Saraf Omra, Kabkabia locality, North Darfur State. Half of them were confirmed to be due to Neisseria meningitidis W135.
(Source: World Health Organization 23-24 /3/05)
Gansu: Meningoccocal meningitis
Since January to mid of March this year, Gansu province had reported 48 cases of Meningoccocal Meningitis and 7 of them were dead. Infected patients were mainly primary school students, accounting for about 80% of cases. The outbreaks were concentrated at seven Gansu cities namely: Long Nan, Tian Shui, Bai Yin, Lin Xia, Wu Wei, Ping Liang and Jiu Quan. According to local Government, the outbreaks were under control. The number of infected and death cases were substantially increased comparing to the figures last year.
(Source: LanZhou Morning Post 22/3/05)
In Guangxi, 2 persons were poisoned after consuming scallops in mid-March. One died and another still in coma.
In Guangzhou, many cases of scallop poisoning recently occurred were probably due to arch-shaped scallops. The authority banned the sale of arch-shaped scallops in markets.
(Source: Apple Daily News 21/3/05 & Oriental Daily News 22/3/05)
Since November last year, nearly 800 people suffered from Rubella in Ho Chi Minh City. Most patients were female workers from Cu Chi District.
(Source: ProMED-mail 21/3/05)
There have been nearly 3,000 cases of Dengue reported, including two deaths, in the first two months of this year. This was an increase of 75% compared with the same period last year. Thailand government warned of a possible major outbreak of Dengue Fever this year. Central and north-eastern regions are expected to be worst affected.
(Source: Asean Disease Surveillance 22/3/05)
Singapore: Hand, foot and mouth disease
According to the Ministry of Health of Singapore, since the beginning of this year till mid-March, the number of cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease exceeded 2,500, which was equivalent to 40% of the total number last year.
(Source: Central News Agency 21/3/05)
Singapore had identified more than 2,400 Dengue Fever cases since the beginning of this year, which is much higher than 624 cases identified in the same period last year. One death case was confirmed.
(Source: Channel News Asia-Singapore 22/3/05)
Indonesia (East Nusa Tenggara): Rabies, human
Over the past several weeks, 54 people had been exposed to rabid animals in Ende regency, Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara. There was one death. Government officials were vaccinating thousands of dogs and monkeys and culling animals suspected of carrying the virus.
Two months earlier, there was a Rabies outbreak in Lembata regency on an adjoining island. One person was killed.
(Source: ProMED-mail 19/3/05)
[Editor Note: Travellers to these islands should avoid contact with stray dogs and animals.]
Tsunami warnings were issued by Indonesia, Thailand, India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka followed by an earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale centred in the Indian Ocean about 200km west of Sibolga, outside the Indonesia's Sumatra Island devastated by the previous tsunami.
(Sources: South China Morning Post 29 March 2005)
[Editor Note: Travellers who go to the earthquake-affected area should be aware of the possibility of tsunami and other related disasters. They may refer to the earthquake and tsunami advice before departure.]
Asia: Avian influenza [update-30]
In North Korea, Bird Flu outbreaks were confirmed in a number of chicken farms in Pyongyang. Chickens were culled. No person was affected.
In Vietnam, a 5-year-old boy in Quang Binh province was recently tested positive for Avian Influenza virus infection. His sister was suspected to die of the disease. A local newspaper reported that 200 people had flu symptoms in central Quang Binh province. However, subsequent tests showed that they did not suffer from H5N1 Avian Flu. Another 5 persons in a family were hospitalized suspected of having contracted avian flu in Hai Phong city. They had kept poultry which was culled in a recent outbreak in the city.
In Cambodia, an outbreak of H5N1 Avian Flu was confirmed in Keatha Vong Leu village near Vietnamese border. Poultry was culled.
In southern Myanmar, thousands of chickens died suddenly at Moulmein, Mon State during last week and local residents suspected that there could be an outbreak of Bird Flu. However, veterinary department said these chickens died from ordinary diseases.
(Source: ASEAN Diseases Surveillance 22 March 2005, ProMED-mail 22-23 March 2005, 27-28 March 2005& CCTV 23 March 2005)