Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (27 July 2009)
Advice for Travellers Planning to Visit Human Swine Influenza Affected Areas
Human Swine Influenza (Influenza A / H1N1)
The World Health Organization has declared the human swine influenza (swine flu) outbreak a global pandemic. Confirmed cases of swine flu have been reported in many parts of the world, including Hong Kong.
Human-to-human transmission has occurred in the present swine flu outbreak. The symptoms of swine flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle pain and headache. Some people infected with swine flu may also have vomiting and diarrhoea.
Advice
Strict adherence to personal and environmental hygiene is essential for prevention of swine flu. Department of Health reminds travellers to watch out for the latest developments in the swine flu outbreak when planning travel. Travellers should prepare adequate face masks and alcohol-based handrub and take the following precautionary measures:
- During the trip: maintain good personal hygiene, wash hands or use handrub frequently and avoid contact with sick people.
- Before returning: do not get on board an airplane when influenza-like symptoms develop. Put on a mask and seek medical attention where you are.
- After returning: avoid going to crowded places and pay close attention to your health. Seek medical consultation from public clinics or hospitals right away if influenza-like symptoms appear.
The Government of the HKSAR requires each arriving passenger to complete a Health Declaration Form and return it to designated collection points.
Use of Anti-viral Drugs
According to interim testing result performed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA, human swine influenza virus is sensitive to two antiviral drugs, namely Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and Zanamivir (Relenza). You should consult your doctor before taking these anti-viral drugs.
(Source: Department of Health, HKSAR, 22 June 2009)
Advice for Inbound Travellers/Returnees to Hong Kong on Prevention of Human Swine Influenza (Influenza A/H1N1)
The World Health Organization has declared the human swine influenza (swine flu) outbreak a global pandemic. Confirmed cases of swine flu have been reported in many parts of the world, including Hong Kong.
Human-to-human transmission has occurred in the present swine flu outbreak. The symptoms of swine flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle pain and headache. Some people infected with swine flu may also have vomiting and diarrhoea.
Advice
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government appeals to all inbound travellers/returnees to Hong Kong to observe the following:
- While overseas, exercise good personal hygiene, e.g. observe hand hygiene and cough manners, and -
- pay attention to announcements from the local government
- follow local public health guidelines, including any movement restrictions and preventive recommendations
- avoid contact with sick people
- Before returning, do not get on board an airplane when influenza-like symptoms develop. Put on a mask and seek medical attention where you are.
- If you develop symptoms while on board, put on a mask and notify the crew right away. The crew will in turn follow established procedures and alert ground control. Port health team will board the airplane to assess and follow up on landing.
- Upon landing, accurately and honestly complete the health declaration form; or present yourself to the port health post stationed at all border crossings if you have a health concern.
- After returning, avoid going to crowded places and pay close attention to your health. Seek medical consultation from public clinics or hospitals right away if influenza-like symptoms appear.
(Source: Department of Health, HKSAR, 25 June 2009)
Qinghai Province of the Mainland recently confirmed 12 cases of Pneumonic Plague. The first case (male, shepherd, 32 years old) died of the disease; the remaining 11 cases were mainly relatives of the deceased. They were all isolated in designated hospital and in stable condition. The authorities reminded that people who had travelled to the affected area after 16 July 2009 should seek medical attention if they developed symptoms like fever and cough.
(Source: the Health Department of Qinghai Province, China, 1 August 2009)
In India, an outbreak of Chikungunya Fever was reported in Goa.
(Source: ProMED-mail 25 July 2009)
More than 200 people died in a diarrhea epidemic in mid-western region of Nepal in recent weeks. The cause of some patients’ diarrhea was Cholera.
(Source: ProMED-mail 24 July 2009)
At least 3 people died from Cholera in central Somalia. Latest reports indicated that the Cholera outbreak might spread to other regions in south and central Somalia.
(Source: ProMED-mail 24 July 2009)
In Burundi, there was an outbreak of Cholera in 3 neighborhoods in northern part of Bujumbura, the capital of the country and has spread to other areas. Around 27 residents of Bujumbura were hospitalized for the disease. No deaths were recorded so far.
(Source: ProMED-mail 24 July 2009)
In West Bengal of India, 85 000 cases of diarrhea with 28 deaths were reported after the cyclone Aila in May 2009.
(Source: ProMED-mail 20 July 2009)
In India, an outbreak of Anthrax affecting 56 people and killed 4 people was reported in Orissa. It was reported that the tribal villagers there might have contracted the disease through consumption of semi-cooked cattle meat.
[Editor's note: Prevention of anthrax in both humans and animals is based on control measures in livestock in endemic areas, such as the safe disposal of anthrax carcasses and vaccination of at-risk herds. Travellers are advised to avoid contact with animal carcasses]
(Source: ProMED-mail 25 July 2009)
In Sri Lanka, the number of Dengue Fever and deaths has risen to 180 30 and 180 respectively so far this year. This represents a sharp increase as 4156 dengue cases and 85 deaths were reported for the whole year of 2008.
(Source: ProMED-mail 20 July 2009)