Current Travel Health News

The Ministry of Health in Indonesia had confirmed the death of the 22-year-old woman, whose infection with the H5N1 Avian Influenza virus was announced on 12 January 2007.  The Ministry of Health had also confirmed two additional cases of human infection of H5N1 Avian Influenza. The first newly-confirmed case was a 22- year-old woman from South Jakarta.  She developed symptoms on 6 January 2007 and died on 12 January 2007.  Deaths among birds in her neighbourhood had recently been reported.  The second case was a 18-year-old boy from Tangerang City, Banten Province.  He remained in hospital in a critical condition and his mother died of H5N1 Avian Influenza on 11 January 2007.  Investigations into the source of his infection indicated similar environmental exposure as his mother.  Of the 79 cases confirmed to date in Indonesia, 61 had been fatal.

In Thailand, 4 pigeons died after becoming infected with the H5N1 Avian Influenza virus. The 4 birds were part of a group of wild birds that suddenly died one month ago in the Suphan Buri province.  The H5N1 strain of Avian Influenza killed ducks in a northern province of Phitsanulok, the 1st outbreak reported in more than 5 months in Thailand.

(Source: ProMED-mail 17 January 2007)

Viruses with moderately reduced susceptibility to oseltamivir have been discovered in two persons previously reported with H5N1 Avian Influenza infections in Egypt.  The two patients were a 16 year-old female and her 26 year-old uncle from Gharbiyah Province, Egypt.  They lived in the same house.  The girl and the man were admitted to a hospital on 19 and 17 December 2006 respectively.  On 21 December they began receiving oseltamivir treatment.  The samples were taken from them on 23 December.  The girl and the man died on 25 and 28 December respectively.

 

At this time there was no indication that oseltamivir resistance was widespread in Egypt or elsewhere.  The WHO pandemic preparedness level remained at three.

The Hong Kong Department of Health was investigating the second imported case of Dengue Fever in 2007.  The 27-year-old woman developed symptoms of fever and dizziness on 13 January.  She was hospitalised on 16 January and was in stable condition.  She had travelled to Indonesia prior to onset of symptoms.

In Khabarovsk of Russia, over 170 children under the age of 5 were hospitalised for Rotavirus Infection since 1 January 2007. In Zelenogorsk, more than 40 people have been affected by Rotavirus Infection.  Most of them were children under the age of 2 and the elderly.

(Source: ProMED-mail 17 January 2007)

In the USA, more than 3 700 patients stricken with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea had attended Boston's emergency rooms in the past 6 weeks,.  Most of them were caused by Norovirus Infection.

Winter storm rolled across the plain states of the USA, causing numerous accidents that killed at least four people on Saturday.  At least 47 people were killed as violent storms lashed northern Europe including Britain, Germany, France, Czech Republic and Netherlands.  The storm caused travel chaos across the region.

As of 12 January, 220 suspected cases, including 82 deaths of Rift Valley Fever had been reported in North Eastern Province and Coast Province, Kenya.  Fifty-six cases, including 12 deaths had been laboratory confirmed by Kenya Medical Research Institute.

North Eastern Province remains the most affected area with 132 suspected cases and 54 deaths reported in Garissa district, and followed by Ijara district with 58 cases and 10 deaths. In neighbouring Coast Province, 15 cases and 12 deaths have been reported in Wajir district and 15 cases and 6 deaths in Tana River district.