Outbreak Information and News
PNG - Cholera worsens
It's been four months since
PNG's first cholera outbreak was declared in Morobe province
on PNG's north coast. Since then the disease has spread to
neighbouring Eastern Highlands, Madang and is now in East
Sepik where at least eight people
have died and 280 others have been infected.
The health infrastructure of PNG is such, that it is likely
to struggle to control this outbreak. Cholera vaccination is
available in oral form and is strongly recommended for
persons going into affected areas.
Australia - Swine Flu Vaccine
now licensed for children
Pandemic Influenza (Swine Flu
Vaccine) is now approved for use in children aged 6 months
to 9 years. Children will require two doses given one month
apart. Children seem to be at greater risk of the disease so
vaccination is especially useful for young persons. The
vaccine has been thoroughly tested
and the side effects are about the same as the
'usual' flu vaccine.
For further info go to
Swine Flu Vaccine for Kids.
Nigeria - contaminated drugs
54 children - many under 3 years
age - have died from consuming a contaminated teething
mixture in Nigeria. Diethylene Glycol is a toxic alcohol
used in brake fluid, paint, and household cleaning products.
It is believed it was used as a cheap substitute in the drug
manufacture. It causes death from kidney failure. PROMED
Buying medication overseas is
always a worry - better to take your own medical
kit - especially in some countries.
Canada - Mumps outbreak Ontario
The outbreak at Nipissing
University and Canadore College last month [November 2009]
has been traced to someone who travelled outside of the
country and has spread to West Nipissing, with a total of 13
confirmed cases in the district, said Dr. Jim Chirico,
medical officer of health with the North Bay Parry Sound
District Health Unit.
There have been 13 cases with average age of those infected
is 20 - primarily males. "This is probably the largest
cluster in Ontario," Chirico told a news conference on Tue 8
Dec 2009, noting there are 60 cases in the province.
Meningitis can occur in 10 percent of cases, with one case
in the district likely linked to the mumps virus. PROMED
Persons born from 1966 to 1981 who
have not had their free mumps booster need to be vaccinated
- even if they are only visiting so called 'safe' countries.
Malaysia - Chikungunya
Over 5000 cases have been
reported so far this year; 98% of them are in Sarawak. The
outbreak is decreasing with only 140 cases reported in the
last week. PROMED
Chikungunya virus causes a disease like Dengue fever but
with more joint pain. Travellers need to
be diligent with personal protection
from mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine
for this disease.
Brazil - Meningococcal disease
The number of cases of
meningitis in the Brazilian state of Bahia continues to
increase. As of Thursday 10 Dec 2009, there were
2218 cases reported to the
Directorate of Health Information by the Secretary of Health
of the State (Sesab). The capital of Bahia [Salvador] leads
the notifications, with 1445 [cases], followed by Vitoria da
Conquista, with 157 and Irece, with 103. With the increase
of cases, the number of deaths also increased accordingly.
In Bahia, 138 deaths were reported.
PROMED
Vaccination is available against this disease at your local
TMA clinic .
Brazil - Oropouche Fever
Travellers to Brazil should be
aware of a good reason to avoid
biting midges.
A recent study in Manaus (Amazon region of Brazil) showed
most of the cases of Oropouche Fever occurred November
through March during the rainy season. Sufferers usually
recover fully after a few days. The
virus causes fever, headache, muscle and body ache, and
rash.
Oropouche virus (OROV) is now occurring in man, with midge
bites as the main means of transmission. Oropouche fever is
the second most frequent insect carried disease in Brazil.
(Dengue fever is the most common) OROV causes large,
explosive outbreaks of acute febrile illness in cities and
villages in the Amazon and central regions of Brazil. This
is not a trivial illness. An estimated 500,000 cases of OROV
infection have occurred in Brazil in the past 48 years.
Considering the midges occur in most low altitude areas of
the Americas, it is conceivable that environmental
destruction and climate changes could result in OROV
outbreaks in the large cities of Brazil, as well as in other
parts of the Western Hemisphere.
More
here.
USA - New York City Alert
Three raccoons have been
identified with rabies in
Manhattan's Central Park in recent months - 2
during the past week. The Health Department is cautioning
New Yorkers to stay away from raccoons, skunks, bats, stray
dogs and cats and other wild animals that can carry rabies.
The recent cluster of findings suggests that rabies is being
transmitted among raccoons in the park.
India - Japanese Encephalitis
The viral infection Japanese
Encephalitis (JE)
has claimed more than 500 lives in Uttar Pradesh
and Bihar so far this year [2009], with children facing the
brunt of the disease.
According to an Indian health ministry document, Uttar
Pradesh is the worst affected with
23 of its districts having been declared endemic.
"23 districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh are endemic to
Japanese encephalitis," the document said, adding that till
16 Nov 2009, 476 people have died due to the disease in the
state. In Bihar, the number of deaths is at least 30 this
year [2009]. Over 140 are still undergoing treatment for
this viral disease in the state.
Safe and effective vaccination is
available for adults from your local travel
medicine alliance clinic. The vaccine is It is recommended
for travellers visiting rural areas of Asia. Japanese
Encephalitis was named because it was first detected in
Japan, but it is now rare in Japan
as the population has been vaccinated. The virus is
transmitted from domestic pigs and wild birds to people via
mosquitoes. PROMED |
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...Prepared by Dr Deborah Mills, Brisbane, Travel Medical Alliance
JE Vaccine in Children
As outlined by the above report,
JE is a particular risk for children. However, Australia has
no licensed vaccine for persons under 18 - the group who are
known to be at the greatest risk. The Adult JE Vaccine has
been shown to be safe and effective - the side effects are
the same as placebo.
The Brisbane TMA clinic has been
chosen as one of 16 centres in Europe, USA and Australia to
participate in a worldwide research project on JE Vaccine
for children. The goal of the research project is to get
the data for licensing the vaccine in children, sort out
doses etc.
There are different (and very stringent requirements) for
licensing vaccines in children - this is why the swine flu
vaccine was licensed first in persons over the age of 10 and
then later in persons under 10 years age.
For most existing vaccines, the vaccination of older
children gives the same effect as vaccinating adults e.g.
Typhoid vaccine is given at the same dose to everyone over
the age of 2 years. Rabies is the same dose regardless of
age. Some vaccines require a slightly different dose and
schedule in persons of different ages.
Swine
Flu ( pandemic (H1N1) 2009) - Fast
fact update
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Vaccine is now licensed in
children. Persons under 10 years need two doses about 4
weeks apart.
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Mathematical modelling conducted
on southern hemisphere data suggests a 20-40% infection
attack rate.
-
The incubation period appears
comparable with those of seasonal influenza.
-
Rates of hospitalization for swine
flu are highest in very young children.
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1-10% of clinical cases have
required hospitalization.
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10-25% of hospitalized patients have
needed admission into intensive care units (ICUs).
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2-9% of hospitalised patients have died
from swine flu.
-
Pregnant women have a 10 times higher
likelihood of requiring admission to an ICU compared with the general
population;.
-
Severe outcomes occur more often when
underlying medical conditions are present, such as chronic lung diseases
(including asthma).
-
The vast majority of influenza viruses
identified world-wide are now pandemic (H1N1) 2009.
-
So far, the virus has been antigenically stable, and
susceptible to oseltamivir (tamiflu) and zanamivir (relenza).
...Prepared by Dr Deborah Mills, Brisbane, Travel Medical Alliance
Cervical
Cancer Vaccine - free vaccine finishing soon
Those women who have not yet
completed their course of three Gardasil (Cervical Cancer
vaccine) can only access free government funded vaccine
until end December 2009, so if the course is not
complete - do it now.
...Prepared by Dr Deborah Mills, Brisbane, Travel Medical Alliance
Merry Christmas! |
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All the staff at the Travel Medicine
Alliance would like to thank our readers
for their support, comments, feedback,
and wish you
Seasons Greetings, and a Happy and Safe
New Year 2010. |
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Have you any really
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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