In 2022 the UK Health Security Agency (HSA) recorded 54 measles cases, however this year there had already been 49 cases up to April 20 (some linked to overseas travel). The situation is even more concerning with vaccination coverage for the first dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine in children aged two years currently at 89 percent. Elsewhere, measles reports have been posted from Armenia, D R of Congo, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mauritania and New Zealand. Read more
NEWS MEDIA reporting on the incidence of Lyme disease have incorporated a map which reveals England’s south and south-west to be most affected. According to Lyme Disease UK, around 1,000 laboratory-confirmed cases are registered each year in England and Wales, while actual numbers are likely to be much higher. Of the confirmed cases, the top four counties with the highest incidence were Somerset, Dorset, Bristol and Wiltshire. And in the USA, where around 475,000 people are infected with Lyme disease each year, an oral vaccine targeting the rodent reservoirs of Borrelia burgdorferi has been conditionally approved. Read more
Advice for travellers
Ticks can attach to any part of your body but are often found in hard-to-see areas such as the groin, armpits, and scalp. Infected ticks must be attached for 36-48 hours or more before Lyme transmission can occur, so it is important to check yourself each day after outdoor activities. The CDC’s Lyme disease fact sheet offers plenty of other good advice.
Before you travel, call Travelvax Australia’s telephone advisory service on 1300 360 164 (toll-free from landlines) for country-specific advice and information. You can also make an appointment at your nearest Travelvax clinic to obtain vaccinations, medication to prevent or treat illness, and accessories for your journey.