Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (7 May 2013 - 13 May 2013 )
France: Novel Coronavirus Infection [Update]
A second case of novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection was confirmed by the Minster of Social Affairs and Health in France. Laboratory investigation on specimens from a person who shared a room with the 1st case in the hospital in Valenciennes was tested positive.
(Source: ProMED-mail 12 May 2013)
An investigation has been launched into a preliminary report of the detection of a wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in the Banadir region of Somalia. The virus was isolated from specimens collected from a 32-month-old girl, who became ill due to acute flaccid paralysis on 18 Apr 2013. An immediate vaccination response is being planned to begin on 14-16 May 2013 to children under the age of 5 in all the 16 districts of Banadir region.
(Source: ProMED-mail 12 May 2013)
A suspected case of Japanese Encephalitis was reported in Bihar, India involving a 6-month-old baby. The baby finally succumbed on 9 May 2013. Another 16 children have been admitted to hospitals in Muzaffarpur due to the infection.
(Source: ProMED-mail 11 May 2013)
In East Jakarta, Indonesia, there are 165 citizens who suffered from Chikungunya Fever.
(Source: ProMED-mail 9 May 2013)
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Novel Coronavirus Infection [Update]
The Ministry of Health in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has reported two additional laboratory confirmed cases of infection with the novel coronavirus (nCoV). Investigation is still on-going.
(Source: ProMED-mail 9 May 2013)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, poultry
According to the News Office of the Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory reported on 9 May 2013 that of 686 samples collected in Fujian, one environmental sample has been found positive for H7N9 Avian Influenza. It came from Xiaobei Market in Fuqing City of Fuzhou Municipality in Fujian Province.
(Source: ProMED-mail 9 May 2013)
In Texas, USA, the local health department has confirmed 5 cases of E. Coli O157:H7 infection while another 3 suspected cases were recorded.
(Source: ProMED-mail 8 May 2013)
Mexico: Avian Influenza, poultry
Mexico reported 5 outbreaks of highly pathogenic H7N3 Avian Influenza in Guanajuat, Jalisco and Puebla respectively. Out of 890015 susceptible birds, 40010 cases were reported and the remaining birds were destroyed.
(Source: World Organisation for Animal Health 7 May 2013)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection verified with the National Health & Family Planning Commission on May 7 a human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Jiangxi. It involves a 79-year-old woman who is receiving treatment in hospital. She is stable and her 11 close contacts are asymptomatic so far. As of May 7, a total of 130 cases had been laboratory confirmed with avian influenza A(H7N9) on the Mainland.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 8 May 2013)
France: Novel Coronavirus Infection [Update]
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in France has informed World Health Organization (WHO) of one confirmed case with infection of the novel coronavirus (NCoV). The patient had a history of travel to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. From September 2012 to date, WHO has been informed of a global total of 31 laboratory confirmed cases of human infection with nCoV, including 18 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 8 May 2013)
The National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan reported that 5442 people were diagnosed with rubella during January-April in 2013.
(Source: ProMED-mail 8 May 2013)
More than 100 people have been infected by Chikungunya virus in Singapore in 2013.
(Source: ProMED-mail 8 May 2013)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) verified with the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) on 6 May an additional lookback case of human infection of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Fujian affecting a nine-year-old boy who has been discharged from hospital.
As of 6 May, a total of 129 cases have been laboratory confirmed with avian influenza A(H7N9) in the Mainland, which included Zhejiang (46 cases), Shanghai (33 cases), Jiangsu (27 cases), Jiangxi (five cases), Fujian (five cases), Anhui (four cases), Henan (four cases), Shandong (two cases), Hunan (two cases) and Beijing (one case).
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 6 May 2013)
At least 3 people have died of cholera infection and 24 others are still receiving treatment at the central hospital in Cabinda, Angola following a cholera outbreak in the province.
The number of people who have contracted cholera in Hoima District of Uganda has risen to 56 since the epidemic broke out in mid April 2013.
An outbreak of cholera was reported in Wayanad, a District in north east Kerala of India since 2 months ago.
(Source: ProMED-mail 6 May 2013)
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Novel Coronavirus Infection [Update]
The Ministry of Health in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has reported three additional laboratory confirmed cases of infection with the novel coronavirus (nCoV). Two of them died of the infection. The epidemiological investigation of the new cases by the public health authorities is on-going.
(Source: ProMED-mail 5 May 2013)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, poultry
The World Organisation for Animal Health received notification from Mainland China that low pathogenic Avian Influenza virus subtype H7N9 was detected in 3 environmental samples from live bird market in Shandong and 1 chicken sample from market in Jiangxi.
(Source: World Organisation for Animal Health 5 May 2013)
South Sudan: Meningococcal Meningitis
The Ministry of Health has declared an outbreak of meningococcal meningitis in South Sudan's Upper Nile state, after the disease reportedly killed 2 people in its Malakal County. At least 38 suspected cases have been recorded.
(Source: ProMED-mail 4 May 2013)