Travelvax Australia compiles this weekly bulletin of global travel health alerts, risk assessments and advice for the information of Australian travellers and the travel industry. Please contact our travel health advisory service on 1300 360 164 for broad destination advice and vaccination recommendations. Recommended vaccines, travel medication, accessories and trip-specific advice are available from our travel health professionals during a medical consultation at any of Travelvax Australia’s 32 clinics. Visit our website or call 1300 360 164 for details.

WORLD TRAVEL HEALTH ALERTS – JULY 21, 2010

– DENGUE UPDATE: Central-South America, USA, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia
– Dengue, malaria cause alarm in Philippines
– Dengue fatalities rising in Yemen
– Malaria risk grows in Mumbai
– Monsoon brings illness to India’s north
– No sign of cholera easing in Vietnam
– JE surge claims lives in Nepal, India
– Angola’s polio outbreak threatens neighbours
– Rabies on the rise in USA
– New York acts to prevent West Nile Virus outbreak
– Big Apple news you’ll be itching to hear…

DENGUE UPDATE: Central-South America, USA, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia
This week’s global dengue fever alerts reveal a rising death toll as case numbers continue to mount in Latin America, the Caribbean and SE Asia. There are fears the disease will spread to major southern cities of the USA.

For details on the following alerts, click here.

CENTRAL AMERICA: Dengue is wreaking havoc in Central America, with health authorities desperate to reinforce public education campaigns to prevent and eliminate the disease – and the mosquito that transmits it. This reports details outbreaks in Honduras (16,500 cases), Costa Rica (12,000), El Salvador (6197), Guatemala (6000), Nicaragua (1500), and Panama (100).

In Belize, authorities fear a looming dengue epidemic in central areas of the country after recent high numbers of classic dengue fever cases, and the more dangerous haemorrhagic variety. Belize District and Cayo have been worst effected. More details.

SOUTH AMERICA: Colombia is also having one of its worst years on record for dengue. The death toll has now reached 115 (112,802 cases) – a massive increase on 2009’s full year totals of 44 deaths and 77,000 cases.

PHILIPPINES: Despite a concerted government campaign, the dengue death toll on the Philippines island of Mindanao has risen to 15, with 11 fatalities on Cebu.

VIETNAM: Vietnam has seen a massive increase in dengue cases nationwide this year, with Khanh Hoa and Binh Dinh provinces among the worst effected.

THAILAND: Thailand’s health authorities are on high alert after dengue fever claimed three lives in the provinces of Yala (south), Trat (east) and Nakhon Phanom (northeast) last week, bringing the death toll to 36 and the number of cases to more than 36,000 this year. More details.

In the northeast, Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Buri Ram and Surin provinces, there have been 4000 cases (4 deaths).

MALAYSIA: With 11 deaths, Sarawak has already passed last year’s toll and the government is intensifying its efforts to curb the state-wide outbreak.

USA: In the USA, there have been three recent ‘imported’ cases in central Florida’s Orlando area, where the Aedes mosquito vectors are present. There were fears the disease will spread from Key West to southern cities, including Miami.

Advice t o travellers: Dengue fever continues to be a significant health risk for travellers to the tropics, including SE Asian countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia. There are also widespread major epidemics and outbreaks in Latin America and the Caribbean. We urge Australians travelling to all tropical destinations to pack an effective insect repellent containing DEET or Citriodiol. It should be applied to all exposed areas regularly when outdoors at all times – even within the confines of resorts and hotels. Avoiding mosquito bites is the only way to avoid the risk of dengue fever; there is no vaccine.

Dengue, malaria cause alarm in Philippines
In the Philippines, outbreaks of malaria and dengue are continuing to cause alarm in Davao City on Mindanao Island. Further south, authorities declared a emergency in Digos City after 10 dengue deaths among 253 cases last week. More details.

Dengue fatalities rising in Yemen
Yemen is also battling dengue, with the highest numbers recorded in the governates of Hadramout (1142 cases, 12 fatalities), Hajjah (200/7), Shabwa (1100), Aden, Abyan, and Lahj.

Malaria risk grows in Mumbai
Once confined to Mumbai’s slums, malaria is now present in the city’s more affluent areas, new government figures have revealed. Of the 22,159 cases recorded in Maharashtra State this year, more than half were in the capital. More details.

Advice to travellers: Malaria is present in both urban and rural areas of India and the risk is higher during and after the current monsoon season. Travelvax can advise travellers on the need for preventative medication for their itinerary.

Monsoon brings illness to India’s north
India’s monsoon rains are behind an outbreak of acute diarrhoea in the northern city of Shimla (Himachal Pradesh state), with one death recorded among 77 cases last week. More details.

No sign of cholera easing in Vietnam
Cholera continues to spread in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta. The provinces of Ben Tre and Bac Lieu are among the worst hit. Eleven provinces and cities in Vietnam have reported cases this year. More details.

Advice to travellers: Vietnam’s health authorities say the cause of most outbreaks has been ‘poorly processed food and ice made with dirty water’. While the risk of infection for travellers is low, they should avoid street stall food and beverages. Travelvax can advise travellers if cholera presents a significant risk for their journey, and whether vaccination is recommend.

JE surge claims lives in Nepal, India
In Nepal, a child has died and a young woman is being treated for suspected Japanese encephalitis in Mahottari, a village in the southern Ganga River district. The Ganga River Plain is one of 24 districts where JE is found in Nepal and more cases are likely. More details.

In neighbouring India, There has been an outbreak of Japanese encephalitis [JE] in Manipur state, located on the India-Myanmar border. The disease has claimed 3 lives among the 88 patients hospitalised from Imphal City’s Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishnupur districtsMore details.

Advice to travellers: JE is a low risk for most travellers and is dependant on such travel factors as the season, destination, duration of stay, and the type of rural- based activities planned. Travelvax or your travel health professional can advise whether vaccination is recommended for your itinerary. Read about JE.

Angola’s polio outbreak threatens neighbours
Fears of a polio outbreak from cross border trade between Angola and Zambia have prompted Zambian officials to immunise unvaccinated Angolan children when they enter the country with their families. The WHO has warned Angola’s neighbours to be on alert, fearing a resurgence of the disease in regions where immunization levels are below protective levels. More details.

Advice to travellers: Travelvax recommends updating all childhood immunisations, including polio. Childhood immunisations may no longer be protective and a booster may be recommended.

Rabies on the rise in USA
The USA has also seen a high incidence of rabies across the country this month, with bites to humans involving a variety of wild and domestic animals. More details.

Advice to travellers: Rabies is present in most countries and all travellers should be aware of the importance of avoiding contact with wild and domestic animals. While dogs are the most common carriers of rabies, cats, monkeys and many other animals can also transmit the disease. If bitten, urgent post-exposure treatment is required. More on rabies.

New York acts to prevent West Nile Virus outbreak
In New York (USA), an ‘unusually high’ number of West Nile Virus-infected mosquitoes were detected in the Staten Island, Queens, Brooklyn and Bronx districts last week. Spraying is underway to eradicate breeding sites. Advice to travellers: WNV is generally a mild infection, with only mild, flu-like symptoms. However, the virus can cause meningitis or encephalitis, a potentially fatal inflammation of the brain or spinal cord. Another reason to pack insect repellent – even in New York.

Big Apple news you’ll be itching to hear…
Staten Island has also become bed bug ‘central’ in New York. Official figures reveal the number of infestations on the island is 32 times higher than five years ago, with a six-fold increase in Manhattan. While they don’t rate highly as a travel health risk, New Yorkers are finding the tenacious little cri tters hard to kill and expensive to eliminate.