Current Travel Health News

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) verified with the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) two confirmed human cases of Influenza A (H7N9) in Shanghai, involving a 59-year-old man and a 67-year-old man. Moreover, CHP also received notification from the NHFPC on the same day concerning one more confirmed human case of Influenza A (H7N9) in Anhui. A 55-year-old man was involved and his condition is stable. Laboratory test on the patient's specimen by the Mainland health authorities yielded a positive result for H7N9. The 18 close contacts of the three patients are asymptomatic so far.

There have now been 458 cases of cryptosporidiosis in the State of Victoria, Australia this year. The number of cases increased significantly when compared to 88 cases for the same period last year.

As of 21 March, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan reported a total of 2021 cases of rubella The highest numbers of cases reported are in Tokyo followed by Kanagawa then Chiba.

In Bangladesh, as of 6 April, 24 cases of Nipah encephalitis were reported. Of these cases, 21 people died of the infection.

[Editor's note: Nipah virus can be transmitted to humans from animals or directly from human-to-human. Infected people initially develop influenza-like symptoms of fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting and sore throat. In severe cases, complications may happen such as encephalitis. There is no treatment or vaccine available.]

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) verified with the National Health and Family Planning Commission two confirmed human cases of Influenza A (H7N9) in Shanghai, involving a 74-year-old man and a 66-year-old man. Laboratory tests on the patients' specimens by the Mainland health authorities yielded positive results for H7N9.

According to the Shanghai Municipal Public Health Bureau, the 11 close contacts of the two patients are asymptomatic so far.

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health verified with the National Health and Family Planning Commission two confirmed human cases of Influenza A (H7N9) in Jiangsu, involving a 61-year-old woman and a 79-year-old man. Laboratory tests on the patients' specimens by the Mainland health authorities yielded positive results for H7N9.

According to the Department of Health of Jiangsu, no epidemiological links were identified among the two cases at this stage. So far, the 65 close contacts of the two patients are asymptomatic.

The Centre for Health Protection has learned of three more confirmed human cases of Influenza A (H7N9), all in Shanghai. The National Health & Family Planning Commission notified the centre tonight that the cases involved two women, aged 67 and 52, and a four-year-old boy. The younger woman died yesterday; the older one is in critical condition. The boy is in satisfactory condition. All three tested positive for H7N9.

The commission said no epidemiological links were identified between the three cases. So far, except for a close contact of the 52-year-old woman who developed fever and a runny nose, no abnormality was detected among the other 51 close contacts of the three cases.

A 6-year-old boy from southwestern Kampot province, Cambodia was confirmed to have contracted Avian Influenza H5N1, bringing the number of cases to 10; the death toll remained at 8 in 2013

As of 22 March 2013, a total of 18 confirmed cases of rabies in animals have been reported in Northern Greece. The Greek authorities now consider the regions of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Epirus, Western and Central Macedonia, and Thessalia to be at higher risk for rabies .

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health verified with the National Health and Family Planning Commission two confirmed human cases of Influenza A (H7N9) in Zhejiang, involving two men, aged 38 and 67 respectively. The 38-year-old man has passed away. Laboratory tests on the patients' specimens by the Mainland health authorities yielded positive results for H7N9.

According to the Department of Health of Zhejiang, no epidemiological links were identified among the two cases at this stage. So far, the 183 close contacts of the two patients are asymptomatic.

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health verified with the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) four confirmed human cases of Influenza A (H7N9) in Jiangsu, involving one man and three women, aged from 32 and 83, all of whom currently in critical condition. Laboratory tests on the patients' specimens by the Mainland health authorities yielded positive results for H7N9.

According to the Health Department of Jiangsu, the 45-year-old female patient is a poultry worker and no epidemiological links were identified among the four cases at this stage. So far, the 167 close contacts of the four patients are asymptomatic.

Multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O121 infections, affecting 24 persons, linked to Farm Rich brand frozen food products have been reported in the USA.

The number of measles cases in Georgia is increasing.

Over 6000 cases of measles were reported in 4 months in different parts of Punjab, Pakistan.