|
WORLD TRAVEL HEALTH ALERTS – November 9, 2011
AUSTRALIA: Methanol cocktail may have killed Rugby player
GHANA: Rains bring cholera to Accra
INDIA: Chikungunya, dengue, flu hit Delhi; Malaria kills 21 in Madhaya Pradesh
INDONESIA: New rabies death in Bali’s far north
LATIN AMERICA: Record year for dengue
MARSHALL ISLANDS: Major outbreak spread to near neighbours
NEW ZEALAND: In-flight measles fuels new outbreak
PAKISTAN: Dengue toll continues to climb
PHILIPPINES: Typhoid outbreak on Leyte
SINGAPORE: Concern over rising TB
THAILAND: Disease risk rises in slow-moving floodwaters
UKRAINE: Measles vaccination the new national goal
USA: Deadly rock melons continue to claim victims
ZAMBIA: New cholera outbreak in Mpulungu; Suspected typhoid outbreak
ZIMBABWE: Typhoid outbreak hits Harare
AUSTRALIA: Methanol cocktail may have killed Rugby player
Investigations are underway to determine if a tourist died of methanol poisoning after drinking a lethal cocktail in Indonesia. The 29-year-old man, a New Zealander, was on an end-of-season football trip with a Perth rugby team in Bali and died soon after drinking a single cocktail. In the same week a Newcastle nurse holidaying on Lombok suffered suspected brain damage and kidney failure after consuming an arak-based cocktail believed to have been laced with methanol. In 2009, 25 people reportedly died of alcohol poisoning after drinking doctored arak. More details.
GHANA: Rains bring cholera to Accra
Cholera has returned to the capital, Accra following rain and flooding. The number of cases is unknown; No fatalities have been reported. More details.
Advice to travellers: In areas where cholera outbreaks are occurring, travellers should adhere to strict personal hygiene, and choose only safe food and beverages. The disease is generally a low risk for short-stay travelers. For advice on immunisation, please call Travelvax on 1300 360 164.
INDIA: Chikungunya, dengue, flu hit Delhi; Malaria kills 21 in Madhaya Pradesh
The 54 new cases of Chikungunya fever in Delhi are a major concern for health authorities already faced with rising numbers of dengue fever. More details.
In the past month Delhi’s dengue tally has jumped by 512 to 837.
A sudden drop in temperatures and increasing haze in the national capital has led to a sharp rise in flu and other respiratory infections. More details.
National figures to October reveal Punjab state has recorded the highest number of dengue cases (2016), followed by Orissa (1793) and Tamil Nadu (1398). More details.
Fresh dengue outbreaks have been reported in Churachandpur (Manipur state) , Gurgaon (Haryana), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), and Mumbai (Maharashtra).
MALARIA has killed 21 people, mainl
y children, in the Vindhya region (Sidhi district) of Madhaya Pradesh in the past fortnight. More details.
Advice to travellers: Mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, Chikungunya and dengue occur throughout India. Travelvax recommends that travellers discuss their itinerary and preventative malaria medication at their nearest Travelvax clinic, or with their healthcare provider. As with dengue, there is no vaccine or preventative medication for Chikungunya. Travellers should cover up and apply an insect repellent containing effective active ingredients, such as DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus, to exposed skin when outdoors. Influenza is the most common vaccine-preventable illness for Australians heading overseas and all travellers should consider vaccination, regardless of their destination. For more advice, call Travelvax on 1300 360 164.
INDONESIA: New rabies death in Bali’s far north
THE first human death from rabies in Bali since May has occurred in the island’s far northern Buleleng Regency. Despite efforts to control canine rabies in the island, the outbreak smolders. Officially, 148 people have died since the first case in November, 2008.
LATIN AMERICA: Record year for dengue
Countries in the region have had a record 979,774 cases of dengue (692 deaths) this year, including 15,860 requiring hospitalization. Paraguay, Panama, and non-Hispanic Caribbean countries, such as Aruba, the Bahamas, and Saint Lucia are among those who have experienced outbreaks. Worryingly, dengue type 4 circulated for the first time in Panama and several Brazilian states. More details (ProMED alert, Nov 9).
MARSHALL ISLANDS: Major outbreak spread to near neighbours
The WHO and CDC have responded to a call for emergency assistance, with ‘several hundred’ cases of dengue now confirmed just weeks after the disease hit Majuro. Two Pacific neighbours, Yap and Palau have now reported outbreaks. More details.
NEW ZEALAND: In-flight measles fuels new outbreak
While Auckland’s total has risen to 278 after 75 new cases in October, it’s feared the virus has now reached Dunedin following transmission aboard a domestic air New Zealand flight. Cases have also been reported in Otago. More details. As reported last week, the number of outbreaks is waning. In Europe, outbreaks continue, with France at the centre of the epidemic. Transmission within the USA has now been contained.
Advice to travellers: Measles outbreaks continue in many regions of the world and international travellers are at risk of local and in-flight transmission. If you have not had measles or have not received two documented doses of live virus vaccine, consider having a booster. We also advise you check your immunisation status for other childhood diseases such as whooping cough, diphtheria, mumps, and polio, as part of any pre-travel medical preparations.
PAKISTAN: Dengue toll continues to climb
The country’s widespread dengue epidemic continues, with 4 more deaths on Friday bringing the toll to 337. The number of cases has risen to 31 979, including 20 399 in Punjab, of which 17 006 are in the capital, Lahore. More details.
PHILIPPINES: Typhoid outbreak on Leyte
The townships of Capoocan, Carigara, Barugo, and Tunga (Leyte) have recorded more than 100 cases of typhoid recently. The towns share a single water source. More details.
SINGAPORE: Concern over rising TB
TB is on the rise among residents and foreign workers, with figures for 2010 (2791 cases) showing an 11% increase on 2009. There were 795 new cases between January and June this year. More details.
Meanwhile, the WHO recently announced that TB cases and deaths are declining worldwide. More details.
THAILAND: Disease risk rises in slow-moving floodwaters
Hundreds of cases of acute diarrhoea are being reported each day as contaminated floodwater moves towards Bangkok’s central business district. There have been 2 deaths from leptospirosis and other water-borne illnesses are predicted as levels subside. At least 442 people have drowned and 26 of Thailand’s 76 provinces remain inundated. More details.
Advice to travellers: Leptospirosis is typically associated with direct exposure to floodwaters and, as such, presents a low risk for most travellers. Australians travellers to flood-affected areas of the Thailand should first wash fresh vegetables and fruit in clean water, and cook or peel produce before eating.
UKRAINE: Measles vaccination the new national goal
Residents are being urged to get immunised against measles as the Ukraine prepares to host the Euro football championships next year. Almost all of the country’s 194 cases this year were in Western Ukraine. More details.
USA: Deadly rock melons continue to claim victims
With 29 adult deaths, and 1 miscarriage, the ongoing listeria food poisoning outbreak from Colorado’s contaminated cantaloupes (rock melons) is now officially the most deadly in US history. New cases continue to be reported as listeria symptoms may appear up to two months after infection. More details.
ZAMBIA: New cholera outbreak in Mpulungu
Five cases of cholera have been reported in the Mpulungu District. The new outbreak follows 20 cases last month. More details.
There has been a suspected outbreak of typhoid in the western province Kalabo, with 78 cases reported.
ZIMBABWE: Typhoid outbreak hits Harare
Scores of people are being treated for typhoid in the capital, Harare following an outbreak centred on Dzivaresekwa. High temperatures and water supply shortages have resulted in residents fetching water from unprotected sources, including the contaminated Mukuvisi River. More details.
Advice to travellers: Travellers visiting areas where typhoid is occurring or is endemic should adhere to strict personal hygiene, and choose only safe food and beverages. A highly protective vaccine is available and travellers can obtain advice for their itinerary by calling Travelvax on 1300 360 164.
In other news…
Papua New Guinea’s cholera came from Vietnam
The strain of cholera that killed almost 500 people and infected 155,500 others originated in Vietnam, according to a study funded by the WHO. The author found the disease is likely to recur in PNG’s more heavily populated coastal areas and spread easily to neighbouring Pacific community, such as Bougainville. More details.
Australian breakthrough in Chagas treatment
Scientists in Western Australia have created a compound which kills the parasite t
hat causes Trypanosoma cruzi, or Chagas’ disease. The treatment has proven effective in mice and it’s hoped to begin human clinical trials next year. Chagas is a debilitating infectious disease that kills 12,000 people every year, mainly in rural regions of Latin America. More details.
Travelvax Australia compiles this weekly bulletin of global travel health alerts, risk assessments and advice for the information of Australian travellers and the travel industry. Please contact our travel health advisory service on 1300 360 164 for broad destination-specific advice and vaccination recommendations. Recommended vaccines, travel medication, trip-specific advice and accessories are available during a medical consultation with a travel health professional at any of Travelvax Australia’s 32 clinics. Visit our website or call 1300 360 164 for details.
|
