Food and water hygiene advice has been provided to people living in the town of Lamu after more than 100 cases of amoebic dysentery were reported. Cases in the area, the location of a UNESCO world heritage site, have been increasing over the past few weeks as the rainy season set in. Read more
IN THE village of Gilgil, just over 100kms NW of Nairobi, the mounting number of leishmaniasis infections among the local human population has been attributed to sand fly bites acquired during activities such as gathering firewood in nearby forests, the habitation of the rock hyrax, a leishmania parasite host. Separate outbreaks continue in the northern counties of Marsabit and Wajir with the WHO regional office now reporting more than 1,500 cases and seven deaths between them for the year.
Advice for travellers
Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease found in parts of the tropics, subtropics, and southern Europe. There are two main forms – cutaneous and visceral – both transmitted by bites from infected sand flies. The former causes skin ulcers and the latter a severe systemic disease that is usually fatal without treatment. India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Brazil account for 90% of visceral leishmaniasis, while 90% of cutaneous leishmaniasis cases occur in Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Syria, as well as the South American countries of Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina.
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.