Current Travel Health News

In the Mainland, an outbreak of H5N1 Avian Influenza among poultry in Zunyi City, Guizhou Province was confirmed by the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory on 25 February. In this outbreak, 3 993 poultry died of the disease and 238 364 poultry were culled.

(Source: Ministry of Agriculture, China 25 February 2008)

In Eastern Samar Province of the Philippines, at least 178 people suffered from diarrhoeal disease and 18 of them died of the disease.

(Source: ProMED-mail 29 February 2008)

In the Philippines, there were 1041 reported cases of Typhoid Fever in 10 villages of Calamba City, Laguna Province. The outbreak started in mid February and the number of cases has been rising steadily in the past 2 weeks. Preliminary investigation showed that the source of infection might come from contaminated water.

(Source: ProMED-mail 3 March 2008)

In Vietnam, the Ministry of Health has confirmed a new human case of Avian Influenza. The case is a 23-year-old female from Cam Khe District, Phu Tho Province, who died on 25 February. She had contact with sick and dead poultry prior to her illness.

(Source: World Health Organization 26 February 2008)

In Pakistan, authorities reported an outbreak of H5N1 Avian Influenza among the chickens in the southern city of Karachi.

Health officials of the United Kingdom confirmed highly pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza in a dead goose in Dorset, making a total of 11 cases among wild birds reported in the region so far this year. No disease has been found in domestic birds.

(Source: ProMED-mail 29 February 2008)

In Kenya, an outbreak of Cholera which killed 30 people was reported in North Eastern Province.

In Somalia, an outbreak of Cholera affecting at least 400 people including about 70 deaths was reported in Gedo.

In Zambia, 71 cases of Cholera were reported in Lusaka District in the last 30 days. In Kitwe District of Copperbelt Province, 35 cases of diarrhoea were reported. Out of which, 6 cases were confirmed as Cholera.

(Source: ProMED-mail 29 February 2008)

Egypt has reported 2 new cases of H5N1 Avian Influenza. The first patient is a 4-year-old girl from Menea governorate. She developed symptoms on 21 February and was hospitalized on 24 February. She is receiving treatment and is in a stable condition. Investigations into the source of her infection indicate exposure to sick poultry in the week prior to onset of symptoms. The second patient is a 25-year-old woman who is now having treatment in hospital. Of the 45 cases confirmed to date in Egypt, 19 have been fatal.

(Source: World Health Organization 28 February 2008 and ProMED-mail 2 March 2008)

As of 28 February, 35 confirmed cases of Yellow Fever including 19 deaths were reported in Brazil.

(Source: ProMED-mail 29 February 2008)

Paraguay has so far reported 16 confirmed cases of Yellow Fever including 3 deaths; 7 of these cases were young people who had visited rural areas and contracted the disease there. The other 9 confirmed cases, which included 3 deaths, were from San Lorenzo Municipality.

(Source: ProMED-mail 26 February 2008)

In Russia, a suspected case of Rabies was reported in Chelyabinsk region. The case was a 45-year-old woman who was bitten by a fox in November 2007 and died on 15 Feb 2008. The animal was found later to have been infected with Rabies.

(Source: ProMED-mail 25 February 2008)

In Ukraine, a fatal case of Rabies was reported in Donetsk Oblast. The victim was a 10-year-old girl who was bitten by a stray cat.

(Source: ProMED-mail 25 February 2008)