World Travel Health Alerts – August 10, 2011

-  US food fears: Salmonella in turkey, E.coli in strawberries
-  Food poisoning, bootleg whiskey fells Russians
-  Dengue Update: Caribbean outbreak on the move
-  Singapore harnesses new media in dengue fight
-  Metro Manila heads list of dengue hot spots
-  Monsoon brings gastro, cholera to Mumbai
-  Measles Update: Europe, Africa, Asia, Americas, Pacific
-  Vaccine refusal raises bar for polio eradication
-  Tropical diseases becoming more prevalent in Europe
-  Chinese city’s 30,000 dogs given death sentence
-  Villages quarantined after rabies deaths in Philippines
-  JE case confirmed in Hong Kong
-  Hong Kong battles Hep B ‘epidemic’
-  Fears of cross-border malaria in Colombia
-  Gastro outbreak in western Queensland
-  Tick disease on the rise in Russia

US food fears: Salmonella in turkey, E.coli in strawberries
In the USA, more than 36 million pounds of fresh and frozen ground turkey meat is being recalled this week for fear it could be contaminated with Heidelberg salmonella. The strain killed a California man and sickened 79 others across the US recently. More details.
In Oregon, 1 woman has died and 16 people became ill after eating strawberries contaminated with Escherichia coli (O157:H7) bacteria. Health officials traced the E. coli-tainted berries to a roadside stall, but fear some were stored in freezers or turned into uncooked jam. More details.

Food poisoning, bootleg whiskey fells Russians
Almost 100 Russian tourists needed medical attention for suspected food poisoning while staying at a hotel in the Turkish resort city of Alanya (Antalya province) recently. Turkish health officials are investigating the cause.
Local authorities have also revealed that 5 Russian tourists died in the Turkish port city of Bodrum in May after drinking bootleg whiskey. They were on a sailing trip organised by a local company. More details.

Dengue Update: Caribbean outbreak on the move
An outbreak of dengue fever in the Bahamas has spread to the neighbouring Turks and Caicos Islands, with 3 ‘imported’ cases recorded last week. More details.
In Trinidad and Tobago, a suspected dengue fatality has come just days after an outbreak was confirmed. More details.
In Asia, dengue cases are increasing in Delhi, with 5 more last week bringing the season’s total to 15. A fatality was recorded in east Delhi last week. More details.
Dengue is also spreading rapidly in Ludhiana (Punjab state, India). More details.
In Brazil, new figures confirm Rio de Janeiro state is having one of its worst ever years for dengue. Official figures reveal there have been 154,669 cases and 113 deaths – 40 in the state capital, Rio de Janeiro city. While April was the peak month, the season begins again in November. More details.
Advice to travellers: All travellers are at risk of dengue in the tropics. Seasonal rains in Asia are creating ideal conditions for dengue and other mosquito-borne disease, while new outbreaks are occurring in the Caribbean. Regardless of their style of accommodation, travellers should cover up and regularly apply an insect repellent. We recommend repellent with an effective active ingredient, such as DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus. It should be applied to all exposed skin at all times when outdoors. The aedes mosquitoes that transmit the virus live in urban areas and bite mainly during the daylight hours.

Singapore harnesses new media in dengue fight
Singapore authorities will use Facebook and Twitter to fight dengue, using the social media channels to tell followers where outbreaks are occurring. The National Environment Agency (NEA) is developing software that can identify the species of mosquito from a photograph and plans to integrate it into an iPhone application. More details.

Metro Manila heads list of dengue hot spots
Metro Manila is the Philippines’ number one dengue hotspot after recording 9229 cases this year. Others include Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, and Benguet. Case numbers were also high in Quezon City (2574), Caloocan (1104), Pasig (804), and Valenzuela (664), new figures reveal. Cases have trebled in Pangasinan this year, according to a media report.

Monsoon brings gastro, cholera to Mumbai
A monsoon-fuelled gastroenteritis outbreak in Mumbai has worsened with news that a child ha s tested positive for cholera. More details.

Measles Update: Europe, Africa, Asia, Americas, Pacific
This week’s measles update includes news on outbreaks in Ireland, Romania, UK (West Midlands), Ethiopia, Philippines (Capiz), Canada (Ontario), Mexico (Guanajuato, Sonora), USA (Pennsylvania), New Zealand (Auckland, Waikato). More details.
Advice to travellers: Measles epidemics and fresh outbreaks continue in many parts of the world. Regardless of their destination, Australian travellers who have not had measles or received two documented doses of live virus vaccine should consider a booster. We also advise travellers to check their immunisation status for childhood diseases such as whooping cough, diphtheria, mumps, and polio, as part of their pre-travel medical preparations.

Vaccine refusal raises bar for polio eradication
Efforts to eradicate polio have hit a new hurdle in Pakistan and Nigeria as parents refuse to allow their children to be immunised.
In Pakistan’s remote Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, parents fear the oral vaccine will make the children infertile and impotent, while hundreds of parents in northern Nigeria have defied threats of jail by refusing to allow their children to be immunised.
Of the 303 cases of wild polio virus reported worldwide this year, 207 have occurred in non-endemic countries where the disease has spread. Of the 96 in end emic countries, 60 (63%) were in Pakistan, 24 (25%) in Nigeria, 11 (11%) in Afghanistan, and 1 (1%) in India. More details.

Tropical diseases becoming more prevalent in Europe
Neglected tropical diseases from Africa and Asia are making their way to Europe, according to a new study. Worm infestations, food parasites, Chagas disease, and sand fly-transmitted infections are occurring in Eastern Europe, Turkey, the former Soviet states, and the Balkans. More details.

Chinese city’s 30,000 dogs given death sentence
Authorities in the southern Chinese city of Jiangmen plan to kill 30,000 dogs because of concern over rabies. Dog ownership has been banned and residents have two weeks to find homes for their pets outside the city or face having them put down. On average, 2400 people die from rabies each year in China. More details.
Advice to travellers: Rabies presents a low risk for most short-stay leisure travellers. The potential for exposure rises for longer stays – especially for children. Dog bites cause 99% of human fatalities and rabies immunoglobulin for rapid post-exposure treatment is in short supply globally. Travellers should be aware of the risk of rabies and avoid any contact with wild and domestic animals, and seek urgent post-exposure treatment if bitten. Discuss the risk of rabies for your itinerary with a travel health advisor on 1300 360 164.

Villages quarantined after rabies deaths in Phillipines
In the Philippines, a spate of rabies deaths saw 3 villages in South Cotabato (Mindanao) quarantined last week. More details.

JE case confirmed in Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, a child with no travel history is the territory’s first confirmed case of Japanese encephalitis in 4 years. More details.

Hong Kong battles Hep B ‘epidemic’
Hong Kong health authorities say sexually active 20-somethings and unvaccinated mothers from mainland China are responsible for an epidemic of Hepatitis B in the territory. More details.

Fears of cross-border malaria in Colombia
In Colombia, malaria has been reported in Riohacha, the capital of La Guajira Department, raising concerns the disease could also be active in neighbouring Venezuela. More details.

Gastro outbreak in western Queensland
Norovirus is the likely cause of an outbreak of gastroenteritis in the western Queensland towns of Barcaldine and Longreach. To break the infection cycle, health authorities last week asked parents to keep ill children quarantined for two days. More details.

Tick disease on the rise in Russia
Ticks have infected 19 people with potentially-fatal Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in south eastern Russia’s Stavropol region. Doctors have treated 8575 people for tick bites and experts say disease-carrying ticks are emerging later in the year and spreading into new areas due to climate changes. More details.

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-specific advice and vaccination recommendations. Recommended vaccines, travel medication, trip-specific advice and accessories are available during a medical consultation with a travel health professional at any of Travelvax Australia’s 32 clinics. Visit our website or call 1300 360 164 for details.