Shifting disease patterns and outbreaks affect the recommendations and information we provide to travellers during a pre-travel consultation. Each week Travelvax updates the current travel health alerts to reflect those issues which could affect travellers heading to a particular region or country. We do this by scanning the websites of health agencies such as the World Health Organization and the European and US Centers for Disease Control, as well as international news media. Simply click on the point on the map of your area of interest for more details on the current health alert. We also include Advice for Travellers which gives background information and tips. If you have any further questions, of course you can give our Travelvax infoline a call during business hours on 1300 360 164.
World travel health alerts for 19th of September 2023
Imported measles case in Perth
A Perth man returning from travelling in Bali has a confirmed case of measles and is being treated at a Perth metropolitan hospital infectious diseases centre. Western Australians are being urged to be alert as the traveller has spent time in the Perth and Midwest regions while he was infectious. Read More:
Advice for travellers
Measles is a highly contagious virus and can cause serious illness in people of all ages. Most cases reported in Australia are linked to overseas travel - both developing and developed countries. Travelvax Australia recommends travellers check their immunisation status for measles and other childhood diseases such as diphtheria, whooping cough (pertussis) and mumps 6 weeks before departure.
Bangladesh is struggling with a record outbreak of dengue fever
For 2023, the Bangladesh government’s Directorate General Health Services in Dhaka report that 778 people have died and 157,172 have been infected with dengue fever – a mosquito transmitted disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently warned that climate change is causing diseases spread by mosquitos - such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever to be spreading faster and further. Read more
Advice for travellers
Dengue is spread by Aedes mosquitoes which breed in shady areas close homes and other accommodation. They bite mainly during the daylight hours, making them difficult to avoid outdoors. 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, or oil of lemon eucalyptus (PMD) when outdoors to all exposed skin. Read more about dengue fever and preventing insect bites.
Dengue reported in higher than usual numbers
Dengue continues to be an ongoing risk in many areas in Africa and the Middle East, increasing the risk for travellers to these countries.
Countries reporting higher than average cases are:
These countries include: Egypt, Mauritius, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire and Sudan.
Nigeria has recorded an unusual increase in cases of diphtheria across several states
Nigeria has recorded an unusual increase in cases of diphtheria across several states. WHOs most recent risk assessment of the diphtheria outbreak in Nigeria has maintained the risk as high at the national level, and low at the regional and global levels. Read more. Reports also alert Guinea of having an outbreak of diphtheria in several districts. Read more
Advice for travellers
Diphtheria is caught by coming into contact with droplets from the respiratory tract of an infected person—particularly spread by coughing or sneezing. If the disease is cutaneous, it can be spread by coming into contact with the wounds or lesions of an infected person.
Nipah virus outbreaks in Kerala
Nipah virus is a rare but serious bat-borne virus that can cause fever, vomiting and respiratory infections in humans. Indian health authorities have begun mass testing to stop the spread of the virus, which has killed two people in the southern state of Kerala. Public gatherings have been restricted and some schools were closed last week. This is the fourth outbreak of Nipah virus in the state since 2018. Read more
The World Health Organization (WHO) have stated that as Nipah virus has a relatively high case fatality ratio, it is an emerging zoonotic disease of public health importance in the South East Asia and Western Pacific Regions. Read more
Advice for travellers
Avoid drinking unprocessed palm juice. Fruit bats (flying foxes) are the natural hosts of Nipah virus, and females shed the virus when pregnant or lactating. The bats perch on the jars used for collecting juice from palm or date trees, leaving contaminated saliva and droppings in the jars. People are infected when they drink the raw juice, although it is also spread through person-to-person contact. Nipah generally occurs between December and April. Read more about Nipah virus.
Cholera risk in areas with active outbreaks
Active cholera transmission in the following countries has been reported by the Centre for disease control (CDC). For more detailed information on the areas affected, see individual country links.
- Africa: Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
- Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines
- Middle East: Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen
- Americas: Dominican Republic, Haiti
Advice for travellers
Avoid mosquito bites to protect against dengue fever. To avoid biting insects, apply repellent containing an active ingredient, such as DEET, Picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus (PMD) to all exposed skin when outdoors. Dengue is spread by two types of aedes mosquitoes. Both breed close to dwellings, are found in shady areas and bite mainly during the daylight hours, making them difficult to avoid outdoors. Travellers should also cover up with long-sleeved tops, long pants, and shoes and socks when mosquitoes are most active.
Human case of infection with a swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) variant (v) virus
A laboratory-confirmed human case of infection with a swine-origin influenza A(H1N1) variant (v) virus has been detected as part of a routine surveillance in the province of North Brabant, Netherlands.
Over 3 days in August, the infected person developed fatigue and general malaise followed by an acute respiratory infection with chills, sneeze, cough, headache, and generalized weakness, then fever. The patient had no contact with occupational exposure to animals, so the source of infection is unknown. Read more:
Reports of an increase in legionellosis
A total of 166 cases of legionellosis, including 23 deaths, have been reported from Poland on September 11th, 2023. This represents the highest number reported in Poland since 2016. The cluster is being investigated by the Polish health authorities to identify any additional cases. Read more
Advice for travellers
Legionnaire’s disease occurs worldwide and many of the increasing number of cases reported in Australia in recent years have been linked to overseas travel. Outbreaks have been associated with cruise ships, hotels, and resorts. The bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease is found in airborne droplets of warm, fresh water, such as from fountains, spas, showers and the cooling towers of buildings. Over 50s, current or former smokers, those with a chronic lung condition, and the immunocompromised are at higher risk of developing illness after exposure. Read more
Chikungunya cases rise sharply
Chikungunya is somewhat rare in Senegal, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting the first 2 cases of Chikungunya in August in the Kedougou region. Since then, case numbers have risen to 112 in three areas, in the south of the country - Kedougou, Salemata, and Saraya areas. Read more
Advice for travellers
The symptoms of chikungunya fever are similar to dengue fever and both are transmitted by the same mosquitoes – the day-time feeding Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Acute joint pain with a rash is typical of chikungunya and while fatal cases are rare, painful joints may persist for weeks or months after the acute phase has ended. There is no approved vaccine or prevention medication; using an effective, tropical-strength repellent to avoid insect bites is the best form of protection. Read more about chikungunya.
Monkeypox cases in UK more than double to 57, Scotland’s first case reported
Public health officials have confirmed 36 new cases of monkeypox in England, bringing to the total number of known infections in the UK to 57.
In an effort to containing the outbreak- infected patients and their closest contacts are remaining isolated either in hospital or at home, and requested to avoid contact with any young children, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems, who may be more vulnerable, for up to three weeks. The smallpox vaccine Imvanex, which offers cross-protection against monkeypox and can be effective for up to two weeks after exposure to the virus, has been offered to those most at risk.
Scotland has confirmed their first case with health officials saying it is ‘significant and concerning’ but currently poses low risk. Read more
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.