WORLD TRAVEL HEALTH ALERTS – December 6, 2011

AUSTRALIA: Dengue mozzies found in Tennant Creek
BRAZIL: North faces summer of dengue
CAMEROON: Cholera peaks in Douala
CHILE: Biobio sees 3-fold rise in pertussis
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Cholera tally mounts
DJIBOUTI: Capital hit by acute diarrhoea
INDONESIA: Jakarta records fewer dengue cases
INDIA: More typhoid in Hyderabad; Punjab tops national dengue count
KENYA: Turkana battles cholera, dysentery
NEPAL: Bird flu hits Kathmandu
NEW ZEALAND: Fears for holiday measles
PAKISTAN: Dengue case numbers falling
PHILIPPINES: Hundreds infected in diarrhoea outbreak
SRI LANKA: Colombo on dengue ‘red alert’

AUSTRALIA: Dengue mozzies found in Tennant Creek
Northern Territory Health Department staff will check all properties in Tennant Creek seeking to kill Aedes aegypti mosquitoes after the dengue fever-carrying mozzies were found during a recent surveillance program in the town. There have been no cases of the disease. More details.

BRAZIL: North faces summer of dengue
Fifty cities face serious dengue outbreaks in coming months, while 236 others are at risk across 16 of Brazil’s 27 states, Health minister Alexandre Padhilla warned this week. Among the cities most likely to experience major outbreaks over summer are the northeast capitals of Salvador, Recife, Belén, San Luis, and Aracajú. More details.
Advice to travellers: Dengue continues to be a risk for travellers to Latin America and other tropical regions. There is no vaccine or preventative medication and 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 at all times when outdoors.

CAMEROON: Cholera peaks in Douala
There are signs a 14 month-long cholera epidemic may be slowing after affecting virtually every district of Cameroon’s economic capital, Douala, home to 2.1 million people. During the epidemic’s most recent peak in November, 400 people were infected each week. More details.

CHILE: Biobio sees 3-fold rise in pertussis
There have been 11 deaths and more than 2030 cases of pertussis (whooping cough) in the Biobio Region this year – almost three times last year’s figure. The epidemic has prompted a vaccination campaign aimed at ‘cocooning’ susceptible infants too young to be immunised. More details (ProMED, Dec 6).
Advice to travel lers: Pertussis is highly contagious. We advise both international and domestic travellers to check their immunisation status for pertussis and other childhood diseases 6 weeks before departure. Infants are at particular risk in areas with high rates of the disease.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Cholera tally mounts
Eight of DRC’s 11 provinces remain in the grip of cholera, with the year’s tally now 17,500 cases (508 dead). Western provinces, including the capital Kinshasa, have recorded more than 7500 cases, while the majority have been in the country’s east. More details.

DJIBOUTI: Capital hit by acute diarrhoea
Authorities in the capital, Djibouti have reported a serious outbreak of a potentially fatal diarrhoea infection, with 127 new cases and two deaths this month. Poor hygiene and sanitation, along with recent rainfall in some areas of the drought-stricken region, led to the contamination of already unsafe water supplies. More details.

INDONESIA: Jakarta records fewer dengue cases
Jakarta has had 6257 dengue cases (2 deaths) in 2011 - less than half last year’s figure. More details.

INDIA: More typhoid in Hyderabad; Punjab tops national dengue count
The number of typhoid cases is rising in Hyderabad, with health officials concerned the outbreak is persisting past the usual monsoon period. More details.
With 1459 new dengue cases, Punjab State has been India’s dengue hot spot in the last month, followed by Gurjurat (583) and Rajasthan (539). Read more.
Despite another fatality, the number of new dengue cases is declining in Delhi, while Chikungunya persists. More details.
A new dengue outbreak has been reported in Goa’s capital, Panaji. More details.
However, cooler weather in Chandigarh (Haryana & Punjab States) has brought a sudden decline in the number of new dengue cases. More details.
Advice to travellers: Drug-resistant typhoid is a rising problem in india, but the disease presents a low risk for most short stays in hotels or resorts. Most importantly, travellers should follow safe food and water guidelines, and personal hygiene practices. Vaccination may be recommended: Discuss your itinerary and travel plans with Travelvax (1300 360 164), or your healthcare provider.

KENYA: Turkana battles cholera, dysentery
A month-long outbreak of cholera and dysentery in Kerio division (Turkana) has left 40 dead in the last month. More than 100 000 people are relying on relief food for survival. More details.
Advice to travellers: Cholera is generally a low risk for most travellers. Those heading to areas with outbreaks should follow strict personal hygiene guidelines, and choose only safe food and beverages. For advice on your particular journey and whether vaccination should be considered, call Travelvax on 1300 360 164.

NEPAL: Bird flu hits Kathmandu
Hundreds of chickens and domestic ducks have been culled after an outbreak of H5N1 avian flu killed 90 chickens on a farm in Kathmandu. It’s the first outbreak of avian flu in the capital. Only days earlier, 500 birds were culled in nearby Bhaktapur district. Nepal had its first bird flu outbreak in January, 2009. More details.
Advice to travellers: Bird flu poses a low risk for most travellers. Almost all human bird flu infections have involved close contact with sick birds, or with an infected family member. Travellers visiting areas where outbreaks are occurring should maintain high levels of personal hygiene, washing hands before and after food preparation. Read more on bird flu.

NEW ZEALAND: Fears for holiday measles
Health authorities are urging Aucklanders to get vaccinated to stop the city's measles outbreak spreading across the country over the Christmas holidays. There have been 372 confirmed or probable cases of measles in Auckland since May, with 64 people admitted to hospital. More details.
Advice to travellers: Australian travellers who have not had measles or have not received two documented doses of live virus vaccine should consider a booster. Regardless of their destination, we also advise travellers to check their immunisation status for childhood diseases such as whooping cough, diphtheria, mumps, and polio, as part of their pre-travel medical preparations.

PAKISTAN: Dengue cases numbers falling
New dengue cases have been recorded across Sindh province, with 14 new hospital admissions in Karachi. More details.
Islamabad’s 3 hospitals have admitted 171 suspected dengue cases in recent weeks, raising the total to 2632. More details.

PHILIPPINES: Hundreds infected in diarrhoea outbreak
Surigao City (Mindanao Island) has recorded hundreds of cases of acute diarrhoea, with contaminated drinking water suspected. More details.

SRI LANKA: Colombo on dengue ‘red alert’
After weeks of rain, Sri Lankan health authorities fear dengue will spread further and have declared a ‘red alert’ for the capital, Colombo and other regions, including Gampaha, Anuradhapura, Vavuniya, Jaffna, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ratnapura, Kandy, and Kegalle. 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.