This week 18 more measles infections have been recorded by the CDC – 13 are related to ongoing outbreaks in the New York boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The national total now sits at 1,095 cases from 28 states – ‘the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1992 and since measles was declared eliminated in 2000’. Read more
NEW Yorkers make up 24 of the 62 Salmonella (Uganda) infections nationally that have been linked to papayas imported from Mexico – the remaining cases are in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. While investigations continue, advice to consumers from the CDC is to avoid ‘whole, fresh papayas from Mexico’.
WEST Nile virus activity in California (and across many parts of the US) is at forecast levels but expected to rise, ‘influenced by many factors, including climate, the number and types of birds and mosquitoes in an area, and the level of WNV immunity in birds’. The California Department of Public Health is advising residents ‘to take every possible precaution to protect against mosquito bites’.
Advice for travellers
Salmonella is a bacterium typically found in food, such as poultry, that causes diarrhoea, fever, and abdominal cramps between 12 and 72 hours after infection. Illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment, although diarrhoea may be so severe as to require hospital treatment. Young children and the elderly are at highest risk of severe illness. As there is no vaccine to prevent salmonellosis, it is best to avoid raw or undercooked eggs, poultry, or meat. Read more
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.