WORLD TRAVEL HEALTH ALERTS – November 16, 2011

AUSTRALIA: Hepatitis A scare in high school
BOLIVIA: Amazon bears highest dengue burden
BRAZIL: National alert for dengue
INDIA: Malaria deaths in Jharkhand; Cooler weather brings relief from mozzie diseases
INDONESIA: Hepatitis A in West Java districts; Seasonal rains raise dengue risk; Bird flu death confirmed
MALAYSIA: Hepatitis A outbreak in northeast
MARSHALL ISLANDS: Dengue cases soar past 250
NEW ZEALAND: More measles on the wing
PAKISTAN: Dengue numbers rise in Lahore, Karachi
PHILIPPINES: Manila’s measles likely to spread; Dengue passes 100,000 mark
SOUTH SUDAN: No end in sight for deadly sand fly disease
THAILAND: Disease watch as floodwaters slowly recede
SOUTH KOREA: Fears dengue has taken root
ZIMBABWE: Typhoid tally rising in Harare

IN OTHER NEWS…
Health concerns compound Europe’s economic woes

AUSTRALIA: Hepatitis A scare in high school
Staff and students of Canberra’s Lyneham High School have been offered precautionary vaccination against Hepatitis A after a school canteen worker was diagnosed with the virus. More details.
Advice to travellers: Typically, the Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is contracted by eating or drinking food or water contaminated by the faeces of an infected person, or from contaminated surfaces. It is a common v accine-preventable infection in travellers to developing countries, as this CDC map shows. While HAV vaccines offers high-level, long-term protection, strict personal hygiene is also important. Read more on Hepatitis A.

BOLIVIA: Amazon bears highest dengue burden
Dengue fever is taking a heavy toll in the country’s Amazon regions, with 7094 cases (47 deaths) – mainly children. Santa Cruz has had 83% of the fatalities. More details.
Advice to travellers: Dengue poses an ongoing risk for Australians heading to Latin America. In the tropics, travellers should cover up and regularly apply an insect repellent containing effective active ingredients, such as DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus, to exposed skin at all times when outdoors. The mosquitoes that transmit the dengue virus inhabit urban areas, including leading hotels and resorts, and bite mainly during the day.

BRAZIL: National alert for dengue
The country is again on alert for dengue. Almost half of the 700,000-plus cases this year have been in southeastern states. More details (PROMED dengue update #45)

INDIA: Malaria deaths in Jharkhand; Cooler weather brings relief from mozzie diseases
Cerebral malaria has killed 6 people in Karmikund village (Koderma, Jharkhand). More details.
An malaria outbreak in Assam state is likely to spread to neighbouring Gelephu. More details.
In Delhi, the number of Chikungunya cases has risen to 71, although there have been fewer dengue and malaria infections. The national capital has had 14 cases of Japanese encephalitis since September, but cooler temperatures are expected to slow transmiss ion of all mosquito-borne diseases. More details.
The Churachandpur district (Manipur state) continues to record new dengue cases. More details.
Dengue figures from Tamil Nadu State reveal the highest incidence in areas bordering Kerala State, notably Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, Dindugal, Theni, and Nilgiris. More details.
Advice to travellers: Malaria is highly endemic in India and is present throughout the year in rural and urban areas, including major cities. Travelvax recommends that travellers discuss their itinerary and preventative malaria medication at their nearest Travelvax clinic, or with their healthcare provider. An effective repellent is essential to protect against all insect-borne diseases. For more advice, call Travelvax on 1300 360 164.

INDONESIA: Hepatitis A in West Java districts; Seasonal rains raise dengue risk; Bird flu death confirmed
Hundreds of cases of Hepatitis A have been reported in separate outbreaks in districts of West Java, including Bandung, Tasikmalaya, and Depok. The outbreaks, which have affected mainly school and university students, have prompted an official investigation into the cause. More details.
The national government has warned dengue is likely to emerge during the upcoming rainy season, with East Java, Yogyakarta, Central Kalimantan, Jambi, Lampung, and North Sulawesi likely to be among the regions hardest hit. More details.
Tests have confirmed H5N1 avian flu killed the 29-year-old mother of 2 children who also died of the disease in Bali’s Bangli Regency last month, the Ministry of Health said this week. More details.
Advice to travellers: For travellers the risk of infection by avian influenza is low. The virus are excreted in the droppings of infected birds. Travellers should avoid contact with chickens and birds in live animal markets and villages, or on farms. Read more on H5N1.

MALAYSIA: Hepatitis A outbreak in northeast
Some 35 people have been treated following a sudden outbreak of Hepatitis A in Kampung Basung and Kampung Pasir Dula, two villages in the northeast region of Hulu Terengganu. More details.

MARSHALL ISLANDS: Dengue cases soar past 250
Just three weeks after the outbreak began, the number of dengue cases has now topped 250. While 68 people have required hospital care, there have been no deaths. Cases continue to be reported on Yap and Palau. More details.

NEW ZEALAND: More measles on the wing
Air travel continues to be a factor in the spread of measles infection. New cases have been reported in Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Southland, and Wellington.
Advice to travellers: Australian travellers should ensure they are protected against the highly contagious measles virus. Those who have not had measles or have not received two documented doses of live virus vaccine should consider a booster, regardless of their destination. 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.

PAKISTAN: Dengue numbers rise in Lahore, Karachi
Punjab province’s dengue tally has risen to 3678, the majority in Lahore, while cooler weather has reduced the number of new cases in Rawalpindi. In Karachi (Sindh province) the number of official dengue cases has reached 717 (15 deaths).

PHILIPPINES: Manila’s measles likely to spread; Dengue passes 100,000 mark
With 81% of residents unvaccinated, a measles outbreak is expected to spread rapidly in several of the cities that make up Metro Manila. Some 15 cases were confirmed last week in Mandaluyong City, Muntinlupa, Paranaque, Quezon City, and Taguig. More details.
Dengue cases could soon exceed 100,000 this year and authorities fear the disease could become a year-round health risk. Most cases were from Metro Manila (22,225), Central Luzon (19,995), the Calabarzon sub-region (13,746), and the Ilocos Region (12,754). In Metro Manila, the cities with the highest incidence include Quezon (6999), Manila (3232), Caloocan (2510), Valenzuela (1380), and Pasig (1155). More details.

SOUTH SUDAN: No end in sight for deadly sand fly disease
Two years after it began, a widespread epidemic of sand fly-borne visceral leishmaniasis continues in the states of Upper Nile and Jonglei, with conservative estimates of more than 18,000 cases and 720 deaths. More details.

THAILAND: Disease watch as floodwaters slowly recede
As the devastating floodwaters slowly begin to recede, the Australian embassy in Bangkok has urged travellers to reconsider their travel plans and to exercise caution. Local medical experts warn further disease outbreaks are likely in coming weeks. More details.
With damage estimated at $A30 billion, Thailand’s Prime Minister yesterday warned it may take months for the waters to finally recede. More details.

SOUTH KOREA: Fears dengue has taken root
Health authorities say a case of dengue in South Gyeongsang Province may be the country’s first locally acquired infection. South Korea sees up to 100 cases a year, all contracted during overseas travel. More details.

ZIMBABWE: Typhoid tally rising in capital
In Harare, 207 people are now being treated for typhoid. The outbreak is spreading due to high temperatures and acute water shortages in the capital’s impoverished townships, which rely on water from makeshift wells, and marshlands. More details.
Advice to travellers: Ensuring strict personal hygiene, and safe food and beverages choices are especially important when visiting areas with  typhoid outbreaks. A highly protective vaccine is available and travellers can obtain advice on whether it is advisable for their itinerary by calling Travelvax on 1300 360 164.

IN OTHER NEWS …

Health concerns compound Europe’s economic woes
Europe's health is suffering, with around 80,000 cases of tuberculosis infection a year and serious problems with measles, HIV and threats from ‘superbug’ infections, according to an annual health report. 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.