The vaccine-derived polio case total this year has risen to 280 (cf. eight last year), with another six cVDPV2 infections reported by the GPEI (in the states of Bauchi, Gombe, Katsina, and Yobe), plus positive environmental samples were detected from 26 sites from seven states in all.
FOUR MONTHS after the first imported case of monkeypox was reported in the US (Texas) in a person arriving from Nigeria, there has been another – this time into Maryland. While fellow travellers and close contacts are being followed up for 21 days, the mask mandate on flights means the risk of onward transmission is considered low. The CDC advised that the imported strain in this instance matches the one ‘that has been re-emerging in Nigeria since 2017’. Read more
Advice for travellers
Advice for travellers: Closely related to the smallpox virus, monkeypox is mainly found in Central and Western Africa. Rodents are the suspected reservoir, with monkeys and humans as secondary or ‘spill-over’ hosts. People can be infected by eating undercooked ‘bushmeat’ or handling infected animals, making infection a low risk for travellers. Read more on monkeypox.
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.