Current Travel Health Alerts

AUSTRALIA: Typhoid alert in Adelaide; Cairns' dengue hits 77

In South Australia, a case of typhoid involving a kitchen worker at Adelaide's Stamford Grand is being investigated by health authorities, who say people who ate at the hotel in Glenelg should be alert for symptoms. The man and his son were infected during a holiday in India. Read more.

THE number of dengue cases in Queensland's Cairns district has risen to 77. Outbreaks of the Type 1 and Type 3 strains are occurring in the city, while Type 1 cases have been detected in Port Douglas, the ABC reports. Meanwhile, blood supplies to service the region are being brought in from other areas of the state. Read more.

Advice to travellers: Dengue is spread by two types of Aedes mosquitoes, which are found in urban areas and mainly bite during the daylight hours. Travellers should cover up with long-sleeved tops, long pants, and shoes and socks when mosquitoes are most active. Apply repellent containing an active ingredient, such as DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus when outdoors to all exposed skin.

CAMBODIA: Deadly H5N1 claims 8th victim

A H5N1 bird flu fatality on Monday is the eighth death from 9 cases this year, causing fresh concern over the spread of the virus. The 25-year-old victim, from the north-eastern province of Kampong Cham, was infected after eating meat from infected ducks. Cambodia has recorded 30 human H5N1 cases since 2003 – 27 of them fatal. Read more.

Advice to travellers: While bird flu virus is often fatal, it poses a low risk for most travellers. If you are travelling to regions where outbreaks occur, wash your hands before and after preparing food and maintain high levels of personal hygiene. Read more on bird flu and how to avoid it.

 

HAITI: Cholera toll passes 8000

The official death toll from the 28 month-long cholera epidemic is now 8034, although the true number of cases and deaths is likely to be much higher, international observers believe.

Advice to travellers: Cholera is generally a low risk for most short-stay travellers. However Australians heading to hyper-endemic cholera countries, such as Haiti or its neighbour, the Dominican Republic should strongly consider vaccination. Those heading to countries where cholera occurs should adhere to strict personal hygiene and opt for safer food and beverage options. Travelvax's free telephone advisory service (1300 360 164) can advise you on the risk for your particular journey, and whether you should consider vaccination.

 

LAOS: South hit by unseasonable dengue

Up to 20 dengue cases a week are being recorded in south-western Champassak Province, near the Thailand and Cambodia borders. There has been at least one death. The outbreak is an unseasonable one – dengue's annual peak season in Laos is between April and November. Read more.

 

MEXICO: Guerrero tops dengue states

Nationwide, 1061 official cases of dengue were recorded in the first 5 weeks of the year, with Guerrero (209 cases), Veracruz (118), and Michoacan (106) the states most affected. Other states to report outbreaks in the first weeks of February included Chiapas (72), Jalisco (42), Oaxaca (34), Quintana Roo (159), and Yucatan (119).

 

SAUDI ARABIA: New case of novel coronavirus (NCoV)

The Saudi ministry of health has advised the sixth case of novel coronavirus (NCoV) in the kingdom. Four of the 6 Saudi have been fatal, according to a WHO report. Worldwide 7 of 13 people infected have died.

 

SOUTH AMERICA: Dengue review

ARGENTINA – More than 850 confirmed and suspected cases of dengue have been recorded to Feb 19. In centrally located Cordoba City, an outbreak is increasing.

BOLIVIA – In Beni Department (state), dengue is having the most impact in the municipalities of Guayaramerin (235 confirmed cases), Riberalta (209 cases), and Trinidad (71).

BRAZIL – The health ministry announced earlier in the day that the number of cases in the first seven weeks of 2013 reached 204,640, up 190% from the same period of last year. Five states report significant dengue outbreaks, including Amazonas (726 cases); Sao Paulo (Bauru 397, Campinas 517, Sorocaba 132 conf/susp, 1 death); Minas Gerais (Belo Horizonte, 1703 conf/susp); Parana (3150 cases in 11 municipalities); and Rio de Janeiro (15,855, including 900 cases in Campos dos Goytacazes).

COLOMBIA – Of the national total of 6161 dengue cases to Feb 23 this year, the departments (states) worst affected include Tolima (1321 cases – rates increasing) and Santander (Buccaramanga, 393 – increasing).

ECUADOR – Rates are increasing, with 1929 dengue cases and 4 deaths in 19 provinces across the country in the first 7 weeks of the year.

PARAGUAY – Dengue is rampant with hundreds of new cases reported daily. The health ministry has recorded 27 deaths this year alone among 38,435 confirmed or suspected cases nationwide during the current season. The departments of Central (936 cases), Amabay (146), Asuncion (138), and Alto Parana (52) are the latest to report new outbreaks.

VENEZUELA – There have been 6185 cases to Feb 9, including 328 of the more serious dengue haemorrhagic fever. States with outbreaks include Lara, Portuguesa, Barinas, Trujillo and Tachira, which recorded 144 cases to Feb 22.

Read more details on the above alerts in translated reports and comments (ProMED).

 

SINGAPORE: Dengue widespread

Almost 200 cases of dengue were reported last week. There are around 31 separate clusters spread across the island. Read more.

 

THAILAND: Dengue up 5-fold in 2013

A senior Thai health official warned the number of dengue infections could top 120,000 cases this year after 5739 cases and 4 deaths were recorded in the first five weeks of the year – more than 5 times the number in January, 2012, according to a state news agency report. The highest attack rate was reported in the south region (27.25 per 100 000 population), followed by the central region (11.62), the north region (7.61), and the north eastern region (5.78). The 5 provinces with the highest attack rates were Songkhla (58.19), Krabi (56.03), Phatthalung (35.45), Surat Thani (34.20), and Rayong (34.15). People aged 7-24 accounted for about 60% of cases, the Thai Bureau of Epidemiology stated in its latest bulletin (ProMED).

 

UGANDA: Measles toll now 6

Measles has now taken 6 lives among 159 cases in western Hoima District in recent weeks. It's the region's worst outbreak in a decade. Authorities will vaccinate 10,000 children to prevent the outbreak reaching the neighbouring Kiziranfumbi and Kyangwali districts. Read more.

Advice to travellers: Measles is highly contagious and the virus can result in severe illness or death. Outbreaks continue occur in developing and developed countries. Travelvax recommends travellers check their immunisation status for measles and other childhood diseases such as diphtheria, whooping cough (pertussis), mumps, and polio 6 weeks before departure.

UNITED KINGDOM: Scotland gripped by whooping cough; England's new measles hotspot

A major whooping cough outbreak in Scotland has resulted in more than 200 cases this year – 10 times the number at the same time last year. There have been 2241 cases in the last 13 months – the highest rates in two decades. Read more.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE is the latest English county to report a spike in measles cases – 62 cases between last October and January, compared to 5 in all of 2011. More people are requiring hospital treatment. Read more.