Outbreak Information and News
Tick Borne Encephalitis:
European travellers beware!
Many Australian travellers are
not aware of a serious disease transmitted by ticks in
Europe in the summer. One tick bite can lead to brain damage
and death. The disease becomes more serious with age. TBE
vaccine is not a regular vaccine in Australia, but the
vaccine is available at specialised travel clinics under the
governments special access scheme. Two vaccines are required
2 weeks apart to give several months protection. Vaccination
should be seriously considered if you will be visiting
forested areas in Europe. Further info and map of affected
areas
here.
Sweden has the highest rate of tickborne encephalitis (TBE)
in Scandinavia, exceeding even those of Russia in 2008.
More here.
Rabies in Bali: most
bites are from monkeys
GeoSentinel or EuroTravNet are
international clinics with an interest in travel diseases.
Since 2008 when the outbreak of rabies in Bali began, 45
patients have attended these clinics for post exposure
rabies vaccination. These patients from Bali represent 12.6%
of all travellers seen for post exposure rabies treatment in
the network clinics during the same time period. Bali is
emerging as a commonly visited destination among travelers
presenting for rabies post exposure treatment. Worldwide 90%
of rabies comes from dog bites, however most of the
animal-related injuries in travelers returning from Bali
were associated with monkey-exposures, not dog
bites/scratches. Travellers to Bali need to be very careful
to avoid contact with animals, and should consider rabies
vaccination before departure.
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Chikungunya spreading in Asia
and Indian Ocean
Chikungunya fever is like Dengue
fever; a disease caused by a virus that is spread to people
through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Symptoms can
include sudden fever, joint pain with or without swelling,
chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, lower back pain, and a
rash or skin irritation that may be red, itch or spread from
one area to another. Chikungunya mainly occurs in areas of
Africa and Asia. The current outbreak started in 2006. In
2007, there were even a few cases reported in Italy -
brought in by travellers.
The following examples highlight some recent chikungunya
activity in Asia and the Indian Ocean region:
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In 2009, the Ministry of
Health in Malaysia reported
over 4,430 cases of chikungunya fever. No
deaths were reported. The most affected areas were the
northern provinces of Sarawak Kedah, followed by
Kelantan, Selangor, and Perak. Chikungunya fever
activity has continued in 2010. As of May 15, there are
an additional 549 reported cases, which have occurred
predominately in Sarawak.
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During 2009,
Thailand reported 49,069 cases of
chikungunya fever. As of May 26, 2010, there
are an additional 946 reported cases. Most cases have
been reported in the south of the country.
Over 43,000 cases were also
reported in Indonesia.
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Chikungunya activity is
ongoing in the French island of Reunion. From March 17
through May 19, 67 confirmed and 23 probable cases of
chikungunya were reported. Most of the cases have been
identified in the western commune of Saint-Paul. Health
authorities have increased surveillance for chikungunya
on the island.
Advice
for Travellers: No medications or vaccines are
available to prevent a person from getting sick with
chikungunya fever. CDC recommends that people traveling to
areas where chikungunya fever has been reported take steps
to protect themselves from mosquito bites.
Polio outbreak in Tajikistan:
Possible cases in Uzbekistan
An outbreak of polio is
currently ongoing in the Republic of Tajikistan. This
outbreak represents the first importation of polio in the
World Health Organization (WHO) European Region since it was
certified polio-free in 2002.
As of May 21, 2010, the Tajikistan Ministry of Health has
reported 432 cases of acute flaccid
paralysis, the most common sign of polio. Of
these cases, 129 have been confirmed as polio. Of the
confirmed polio cases, 107 are in children 5 years old or
younger. A total of 12 deaths have been reported.
Uzbekistan has also reported several cases of acute flaccid
paralysis. These cases have occurred near the country's
border with Tajikistan.
Polio is a disease that is most often spread through contact
with the stool (bowel movement) of an infected person. Polio
germs can also be spread through food and water. The disease
mainly affects children under 5 years old, but unvaccinated
people of any age are at risk. Signs and symptoms of the
illness include limb, respiratory, and facial paralysis, as
well as diarrhea.
Advice to Travellers: Ensure you are up to date with your
polio vaccination. Travellers to risk areas should have had
one adult polio vaccine. The oral polio vaccine has now been
discontinued in Australia. The injectible polio vaccine can
be given included in the Tetanus Vaccine.
Russia: Polio
According to WHO, 4 cases of
wild poliovirus type 1 have been reported in Russia so far
this year. Cases have been identified in Irkutsk,
Chelyabinsk, the Sverdlovsk region, and Moscow. At least 1
case is a confirmed importation from the current outbreak in
Tajikistan and the others are under investigation. There is
no evidence of local transmission at this time. The last
reported case of indigenous polio in Russia was in 1995.
Anniversary of the eradication
of smallpox
Smallpox is an acute contagious
disease caused by the variola virus. Having originated over
3 000 years ago in India or Egypt, smallpox is one of the
most devastating diseases known to mankind. For centuries,
repeated epidemics swept across continents and decimated
populations. The disease, for which there was no effective
treatment, killed as many as 30% of those infected and left
survivors blind, and disfigured.
In 1967, when the disease threatened 60% of the world's
population, WHO launched an intensified plan to eradicate
smallpox. Through the success of the global eradication
campaign, smallpox was finally pushed back to the horn of
Africa with the last recorded case in Somalia in 1977. The
World Health Assembly in 1980 declared smallpox eradicated
from the face of the earth.
Last month, a statue to commemorate the 30th anniversary of
smallpox eradication was erected in the gardens of WHO. At
the unveiling ceremony, WHO's Director General Dr Margaret
Chan applauded health workers from around the world whose
dedicated work over 14 years made this possible.
Malawi: Measles
The Malawi Ministry of Health
released data in June 2010 showing that the country now has
reported 12,000 measles cases and 70 deaths. The government
of Malawi has scheduled July 2010 as the start date for
vaccination of all children aged 6 months to 15 years. As
the epidemic has spread much faster than previously
expected, the Ministry of Health has decided on immediate
implementation of a vaccination campaign.
Advice for Travellers:
Persons born between 1966 and 1981 need to ensure they have
had their (free) measles booster before travel to Africa.
Japanese Encephalitis vaccine
trial for children
Travellers going to Asia with
children over the next 12 months may be entitled to receive
the Japanese Encephalitis vaccine free for their children.
Japanese Encephalitis is a serious disease that can cause
brain damage and be transmitted by a single mosquito bite.
More info can be found at
www.JESTUDY.com.au.
Beer makes humans more
attractive to malarial mosquitoes
Intriguing new research has
found that drinking beer makes humans smell more attractive
to malarial mosquitoes shortly afterwards, so regardless of
which pill you take, avoiding beer may be a good way to
lower your risk of malaria.
Read more here.
...Prepared by Dr Deb Mills, Brisbane, Travel Medical Alliance
Dr Deb Mills
now has a Facebook page
Facebook users can now access up
to date information on travel health issues by following
Dr Deb on
Facebook.
Dengue
Fever update 2010
40% of the worlds population
live in a risk area for Dengue Fever. Travellers need to be
careful to avoid mosquito bites Here are a few of the
current hotspots:
-
Honduras
increase of dengue fever in the nation, in which 10 people
have already died among more than 11 000 infected.
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Costa Rica
The number of patients suffering from dengue fever in
Costa Rica rose to 7324. "The mosquito (Aedes aegypti)
is having a party with the beginning of winter, as it
has an ally in the accumulation of trash, tires, and
containers where water accumulates," said one official.
-
Venezuela (Barinas)
68 cases of dengue have been reported in the last 2 weeks
and Barinas is on alert due to rains.
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Paraguay
To date, confirmed cases reached 9874. Of the total of
confirmed cases, 39.3 percent are young adults, ranging from
20-39 years, and 16.5 percent are under 15 years of age.
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Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
Residents of Itaperuna, a municipality in the northeast of
the state [Rio de Janeiro], are concerned over increased
number of cases of dengue in the city, already facing an
epidemic of the disease. In May [2010] there were 605
patients recorded. In the same month last year [2009] there
were 15.
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Brazil (Piaui)
495 confirmed after laboratory tests.
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Cambodia
The number of cases of dengue fever in Cambodia between
January and May 2010 is 1,111 and 7 deaths, This is LESS
than the same period in 2009; 2,431 and 7 deaths. 2009:
11,699, 2008: 9,245 and 2007: 39,851.
...Prepared by Dr Deb Mills, Brisbane, Travel Medical Alliance
The 2010
World Expo in Shanghai, China
The World Expo is being held in
Shanghai, China, from May 1 until October 31, 2010, with 192
countries and 50 international organizations participating.
Organizers estimate that 70 million
visitors will attend the Expo. To help you and
others attending the 2010 World Expo to have a safe and
healthy trip, CDC recommends that you follow these tips to
protect your health.
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You'll need to see a doctor before your trip to help decide
which travel vaccines and medicines are right for you. Plan
to see the doctor at least 4-6 weeks before you leave to
make sure you'll have time to get all the vaccines you need.
Make sure to tell your doctor about your complete travel
itinerary, including all the places you plan to visit and
what types of activities you may do.
Get vaccines and other
medicines
CDC recommends the following
vaccines and medicines for all travelers to China:
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Routine vaccinations, such as measles/mumps/rubella (MMR),
diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT), polio, seasonal and H1N1
influenza, and varicella
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Hepatitis A vaccine
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Hepatitis B vaccine
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Typhoid vaccine, especially if you will be traveling
outside major cities or visiting friends and relatives
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Rabies vaccine, if you will be spending a lot of time
outdoors or have contact with animals
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Japanese Encephalitis (JE), if you will be in China more
than 30 days or are planning to spend a lot of time outdoors
in rural areas
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Malaria prevention medicine, if you are traveling to a
part of China where malaria is present
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For more info go to CDC site.
...Prepared by Dr Deb Mills, Brisbane, Travel Medical Alliance
Don't
forget the toilet paper ...
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Have you any interesting travel photos?
We would love to publish them in our
newsletter. Not only will you win fame and glory
with your name published ... if the photo is
published in our newsletter,
you will win a first aid kit valued at $35.
If you do have an interesting travel photo,
(especially those with a health theme) send it
to TMA care of
info@travelmedicine.com.au. |
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