Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (4 October 2010)
Philippines: Black Travel Alert
Following the hostage taking incident in the Philippines which had caused casualties, the Hong Kong SAR Government has raised the Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) for the Philippines to Black. Hong Kong residents are urged to avoid all travel to the Philippines. Those already there should attend to their personal safety and stay alert.
For more information, please visit the OTA webpage.
(Source: Security Bureau, Government of Hong Kong SAR 20 September 2010)
In view of a recent shooting incident involving tourists in New Dehli, India, the Hong Kong SAR Government issued an amber Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) for India on 20 September. Those who plan to visit the country or already there should monitor the situation and exercise caution.
For more information, please visit the OTA webpage.
(Source: Security Bureau, Government of Hong Kong SAR 20 September 2010)
Mainland (Guangdong): Chikungunya Fever
On 3 October 2010, the Department of Health of Guangdong Province in Mainland reported clustering of Chikungunya Fever cases in the city of Dongguan. As of 1 October, there were a total of 91 suspected cases of Chikungunya fever reported. The cases presented with symptoms of fever, muscle pain and rash. Most of them have fully recovered. There have been no hospitalization, severe cases and death reported so far.
(Source: Department of Health of Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China 3 October 2010)
(Editor' s notes: Travellers should avoid visiting mosquito-infested areas, and take the precautionary measures against mosquito bite by wearing long sleeved clothing and trousers, applying insect repellents containing DEET on the exposed parts of the body, and using mosquito screens or nets in rooms which are not air-conditioned. Travellers returning from areas where Chikungunya fever is endemic and develop symptoms of the disease should seek medical consultation immediately.)
In India, Delhi reported 6 new cases of Chikungunya Fever on 22 September, bringing the total number of cases to 8. There was no case recorded in Delhi last year. Furthermore, 25 cases of Chikungunya fever were reported in the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra in September.
(Source: ProMED-mail 29 September and 3 October 2010)
In India, Delhi reported 97 more Dengue Fever cases, bringing the total number of cases to 3 013 with 5 deaths. The worst affected area is South Delhi.
Travellers to India should take the precautionary measures against mosquito bite by wearing long sleeved clothing and trousers, applying insect repellents containing DEET on the exposed parts of the body, and using mosquito screens or nets in rooms which are not air-conditioned.
(Source: ProMED-mail 29 September 2010)
In Brazil, 6 383 confirmed cases of Dengue Fever were reported in Roraima so far this year. Only 2 878 cases were confirmed in the same period last year. Dengue virus type 4 was detected in the samples of the cases after years of absence. In addition, 4 100 dengue cases with 17 deaths were confirmed in Sao Paulo.
(Source: ProMED-mail 27 September 2010)
In Nepal, an outbreak of Dengue Fever and viral fever affecting more than 7 000 people with at least 19 deaths was reported in Chitwan.
(Source: ProMED-mail 27 September 2010)
In Indonesia, 1 565 cases of Dengue Fever were reported in Central Jakarta area in the first nine months of this year.
(Source: ProMED-mail 27 September 2010)
Taiwan has confirmed 99 more cases of Dengue Fever in the recent week, bringing the total number of cases to 547 so far this year. Furthermore, dengue fever is raging In Kaohsiung, with 227 cases reported so far this year.
(Source: Centres for Disease Control, Taiwan 28 September 2010 and ProMED-mail 27 September 2010)
Thailand: Dengue Fever [Update]
In Thailand, a total of 75 852 Dengue Fever cases with 87 deaths were reported nationwide as of 11 September. Most cases were found in northeastern provinces, followed by central, southern and northern regions.
(Source: ProMED-mail 27 September 2010 )
In India, the death toll from Japanese Encephalitis has reached 346 in Uttar Pradesh State so far this year, following the death of 5 more children in the last day.
(Source: ProMED-mail 29 September 2010)
Pakistan: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever [Update]
In Pakistan, 4 female doctors, 2 nurses, 1 student nurse and 1 ward boy had been confirmed positive for Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever. They contracted the infection while dealing with 2 patients of the hospital. In addition, 15 suspected cases of the disease with 2 deaths were reported in Punjab province, and 1 confirmed fatal case was reported in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
(Source: ProMED-mail 30 September, 1 and 3 October 2010)
Indonesia: Rabies, human [Update]
Indonesia had reported nearly 100 fatal cases of human Rabies in Bali since the outbreak began 2 years ago. The latest victim was a 43-year-old man from Gianyar regency, and he had been bitten by dog on his right leg about 2 months ago. He died on 2 October 2010.
(Source: ProMED-mail 3 October 2010)
(Editor' s notes: Travellers should avoid contact with animals. Immunisation (both pre-exposure and post-exposure), combined with thorough wound cleaning, is the most reliable methods of preventing rabies. Travellers visiting Bali with prolonged stay or anticipated contact with animals should seek medical consultation for pre-travel health advice and pre-exposure rabies vaccination if indicated.)
Russian Federation: Rabies, human
In Russian Federation, the incidence of human Rabies has increased almost 2-fold during the past 8 months of 2010 in comparison with the same period in 2009. A total of 11 people were diagnosed with rabies this year whereas only 6 were diagnosed during the corresponding 8 months of 2009. There were 3 cases in Astrakhan Oblast, 2 cases in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, one each in the Republic of Karelia and the Dagestan, Samara, Ulyanovsk & Chelyabinsk Oblasts and the Jewish Autonomous Okrug.
(Source: ProMED-mail 2 October 2010)
South Africa: Rabies, human and dogs
In South Africa, one suspected fatal human case of Rabies was reported in Gauteng Province, and the death was a 2-year-old child scratched by a domestic puppy. As of 28 September, there have been a total of 10 confirmed cased of rabies in dogs in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province.
(Source: ProMED-mail 28 September 2010)
In Mexico, a cat which attacked a woman in Garcia, Nuevo Leon was later found to have Rabies.
(Source: ProMED-mail 1 October 2010)
Thailand: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
In Thailand, 11 298 cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease with 1 death have been reported in the country so far this year. The number of the cases is nearly a 2-fold increase over the same period last year.
(Source: ProMED-mail 28 September 2010)
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Poliomyelitis
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 7 new cases of Poliomyelitis were reported from Kasai Occidental province. The affected children are all under 15 years old.
(Source: ProMED-mail 1 October 2010)