Current Travel Health News

In the Mainland, an outbreak of H5N1 Avian Influenza has killed 1 000 birds in Jiedexiu Town, Gongga County, south western Tibet. The authorities culled 13 080 poultry.

In Indonesia, the Ministry of Health announced 4 new human cases of H5N1 Avian Influenza infection. The first case was a 31-year-old female from Jakarta Province who died of the disease on 31 January. Investigation indicated that she visited a wet market where live poultry were sold three days prior to symptom onset. The second case was a 9-year-old boy from Depok Municipality who died of the disease on 27 January. Investigation indicated that the victim lived next door to a wet market where live poultry are sold. The third case was a 32-year-old male from Tangerang Municipality, Banten Province who died of the disease on 29 January. Investigations into the source of his infection are ongoing. The fourth case was a 23-year-old female from Jakarta Province who died of the disease on 27 January. Investigations into the source of her infection are ongoing. Of the 124 cases confirmed to date in Indonesia, 102 died of the disease.

(Source: World Health Organization 29 and 30 January 2008, and ProMED-mail 2 February 2008)

In southern Laos, an outbreak of Cholera in Xekong Province has killed 3 people and affected 364 others since December 2007. Two other southern provinces, namely, Champassak and Saravan also reported 9 and 30 cases of Cholera respectively.

(Source: ProMED-mail 28 January 2008)

In the Philippines, 380 cases of Dengue Fever with 5 deaths were registered in a hospital in Manila in the first 2 weeks of January this year. It represented a 3-fold increase as compared with the same period last year.

(Source: ProMED-mail 31 January 2008)

As of 25 January 2008, the Health Ministry of Singapore has reported 11 cases of Chikungunya Fever. All cases had been linked to Little India area of the country and had no recent travel history.

(Source: ProMED-mail 28 January 2008 and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention U.S.A. 30 January 2008)

In Bulgaria, there was a killed wild duck infected with Avian Influenza of the H7 strain in Shumen.

(Source: ProMED-mail 2 February 2008)

In Saudi Arabia, an outbreak of H5N1 Avian Influenza has been confirmed in the Al-Kharj region, Riyadh Province, 80 km south of Riyadh. The agriculture ministry has ordered a cull of 158 000 chickens on 29 January 2008.

(Source: ProMED-mail 29 January 2008)

In Jeddah of Saudi Arabia, 16 cases of Dengue Fever were reported in January this year.

(Source: ProMED-mail 31 January 2008)

Up to 22 January this year, 55 suspected cases of Dengue Fever were reported in El Oro Province of Ecuador.

In Venezuela, a nearly 2-fold increase in the number of Dengue Fever cases was reported in 2007 as compared with 2006. All 4 serotypes of Dengue viruses were found in the country making their people more prone to develop Dengue Haemorrhage Fever. Zulia was seriously hit by the disease.

In Bolivia, an outbreak of Dengue Fever was reported in Cochabamba. 101 cases were registered in the third week of January this year.

Up to now, 458 suspected Dengue Fever cases were reported in Ceara State of Brazil. Out of which, 192 cases were confirmed cases.

(Source: ProMED-mail 31January 2008)

In Trinidad and Tobago, an outbreak of Dengue Fever affecting 6 people was reported in Chaguana.

In Costa Rica, 3 imported cases of Dengue Fever from Panama were reported in December last year. Type 3 dengue virus was detected in the first time in Costa Rica in the victims’ samples.

(Source: ProMED-mail 31 January 2008)

The Health Authority of Paraguay confirmed a death due to Yellow Fever on 5 February 2008. The case was a 24-year-old man who lived in a rural area near San Estanislao in the forested San Pedro Department, 200km north of Asuncion. The last case of Yellow Fever in the country was more than 30 years ago.

(Source: ProMED-mail 5 February 2008)