Sorted by date:
December 2005 - November 2005 - October 2005 - September 2005 - August 2005

31.12.2005 Reunion - Chikungunya On this island of 760 000 inhabitants in the Indian Ocean, 6200 people have been infected by the Chikungunya virus, and the number increases by 250 new cases per week. "Chikungunya" is a swahili word which means "curved up": a rather poetic description for this disease which is not lethal, but largely incapacitating. Transmitted by certain mosquitoes, it causes acute articular pain and can lead to serious neurological complications. The Department of Epidemiology of Reunion (Cellule interregionale d'epidemiologie de la Reunion, CIRE) and the Regional Department of Health and Social Affairs (Direction regionale des affaires sanitaires et sociales, DRASS) fear the epidemic will spread during the next summer rainy season in the southern region. Today, 1000 people take part in the operations of vector eradication on the island. But for Julien Thiria, a sanitary engineer who is responsible for the anti-mosquito campaign, the fight against the epidemic must be accomplished by the entire population.


31.12.2005 Nigeria - Cholera An outbreak of cholera in Opuama and Tsekelewu communities in the Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State has reportedly claimed about 5 lives, causing panic in the area. The epidemic, said to have broken out last weekend, has been linked to bad drinking water and an offensive odor from the shallow stream in the area.


30.12.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza (Human) Indonesia's avian influenza death toll may have risen to 12 with the death of a 48-year-old man in Central Java who was strongly suspected of being infected with the virus, a health official said on Friday 30 Dec 2005. The man was admitted to the Tidar General Hospital in the Central Java town of Magelang suffering high fever and respiratory problems, said Nurul Safariah, Head of the City's Health Agency. "We have sent his blood samples to be tested by the national bird flu monitoring center in Jakarta, which will further send the samples to the (World Health Organization-affiliated) lab in Hong Kong," Safariah told Agence France Presse (AFP).


30.12.2005 Guinea Bissau - Cholera Guinea-Bissau's government has declared that the worst of the cholera epidemic, which ravaged the country in the second half of 2005, is over -- for now. "The cholera threat in our country is passing but we have to remain vigilant if we want to avoid a resurgence in Guinea-Bissau," said Public Health Minister Antonia Mendes Teixeira, at the country's biggest hospital on Tue, 27 Dec 2005. She said that the last 3 weeks have brought no new cases of the disease, which according to a new health ministry report, affected 25.111 people and killed 399 since the epidemic began in June 2005. Nevertheless, special medical teams deployed to each of the country's health districts to help stem the tide of the disease will remain in place.


29.12.2005 China - Avian Influenza (Human) China has confirmed its 7th human case of H5N1 avian influenza virus infection, the official Xinhua news agency said on Thu 29 Dec 2005. A 41-year-old factory worker from southern Fujian province died on Wed 21 Dec 2005, Xinhua cited a health ministry report as saying. This 7th Chinese case (and 3rd death) is the 1st human case of H5N1 avian influenza reported from the southern province of Fujian.


29.12.2005 Peru - Undiagnosed Illness (susp. Yellow Fever) 8 indigenous Peruvians have died from a mysterious disease in the country's remote northern jungle, and around 100 people are suffering from fever and respiratory problems, doctors said on Thursday [29 Dec 2005]. The Aguaruna Indians in Peru's Amazon jungle began showing symptoms of the illness, which include vomiting blood, at the start of December 2005. The illness could have been transmitted by animals. "It seems like Yellow Fever, but it isn't," said Luiz Suarez, director of epidemics at Peru's health ministry. Some Aguarunas have been evacuated from the Alto Tuntus community by helicopter to the nearest major town of Bagua. "We've got 109 people with these symptoms, and everyone is receiving treatment ... but 5 people are in a very serious situation in hospital," said Martin Glendenes, head of the hospital in Bagua.


25.12.2005 India - Cholera A woman at Olimohamadpet in Kancheepuram town (Tamil Nadu) died on December 20th 2005 while 9 persons were hospitalized with symptoms of cholera. Though officials did not confirm the reason for the death of the woman, who was admitted with severe vomiting and diarrhea, they did not give any reason for the death of the lady and the illness of 10 persons who were admitted with severe vomiting and diarrhoea. Olimohamadpet is situated in the outskirts of Kancheepuram town and several appalam factories and rice mills were functioning in the area. [appalam is also called papadum, papadam, and papad, it is an Indian and Sri Lankan flatbread. Typically, it is prepared using black gram bean flour, rice flour, or lentil flour with salt and peanut oil added. The ingredients are made into a dough and formed into a thin, round shape similar to a tortilla. As the dough is prepared, the papadum can be seasoned with a variety of different ingredients such as chilies, cumin, garlic, black pepper, or other spices - mediScon] It is reported that the sewage discharged from the rice mills was blocking the drainage pipes, resulting in stagnation of sewage water. The sewage water had collected around the drinking water pipe in Varadhappan Street. According to local people, the sewage water could have contaminated the drinking water used by the people. This could have caused cholera in the area, they said. Kancheepuram municipal commissioner N.S. Prema visited the spot where the sewage water was surrounding the drinking water pipe. She ordered the removal of the drinking water pipe. A free medical camp for the treatment of residents of Olimohamadpet is being organized and sewage blocks were being cleared.


24.12.2005 Sao Tome - Cholera The 2-month-old cholera epidemic sweeping Sao Tome and Principe shows no sign of letup, having claimed 5 more lives and doubling the number of reported cases. Jose Manuel de Carvalho, the spokesman for the national committee overseeing the anti-cholera campaign said that 5 more people had died from the disease in the preceding 2 weeks for a total of 25 fatalities. In the same period, de Carvalho added, the number of cases more than doubled to 1374 from 650. The outer island of Principe has so far been spared. He repeated government appeals for increased attention to personal and public hygiene to help staunch the highly infectious disease.
Last week, a riot erupted in the archipelago's capital when a police officer tried to enforce a ban on the sale of street food at a Sao Tome market.


24.12.2005 South Africa/exMalawi - Trypanosomiasis 2 cases of East African trypanosomiasis were confirmed in Johannesburg, South Africa in the last month. Both patients most likely acquired the disease in the Kasungu National Park, Malawi. The 1st was a British soldier who took part in a field exercise in Malawi. The 2nd was a South African tourist who was on a trans-Africa overland safari. Both patients noticed large, single erythematous skin lesions (in the groin and on the foot, respectively) while in the Kasungu National Park and reported numerous tsetse fly bites. Both patients visited the park within a 2-week period in the middle of November 2005. The British soldier presented a week after the tsetse fly bite with fever and multi-organ failure. He had renal failure, thrombocytopenia, raised liver enzymes, and evidence of possible cardiac involvement with a bradycardia and features suggestive of Wenkebach-type [atrioventricular] heart block. The 2nd patient presented about 10 days after being bitten with fever and drowsiness and was investigated as possible malaria.


23.12.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza (Human) 2 more human deaths from avian influenza in Indonesia have been confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a Health Ministry official said on Thu 22 Dec 2005, bringing total known Indonesian deaths to 11. The Health Ministry official was referring to the cases of a 39-year-old man and an 8-year-old boy who had previously tested positive locally for the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza. Both victims died earlier in December 2005.
In addition to the 11 deaths, 5 individuals in Indonesia have been confirmed as having the disease but are still alive. The latest Indonesian deaths would take the known global total to 73, while cases including survivors would rise to 141. All the deaths so far have been in Asia.


22.12.2005 China - Water contamination (Cadmium) China's southern province of Guangdong scrambled to protect its water supplies on Thursday as a toxic waste spill from a zinc smelter flowed along a major river towards several sprawling cities, state media reported. It is the 2nd environmental disaster to hit the country in as many months, after an explosion at a chemical plant in the northeast poisoned drinking water for millions and sent a frozen, poisonous slick heading slowly but surely towards Russia. China apologized for that slick on Thursday. In the south, cadmium levels had been found to be 10 times normal in the Shaoguan city section of the North River cutting across Guangdong province north to south, after the smelter's discharge of waste during equipment maintenance last week. Several villages and factories near Yingde, a city 90 km (54 miles) downstream from Shaoguan, had been without running water for days, the Xinhua news agency said on Thursday. Cadmium, a metallic element widely used in batteries, can cause liver and kidney damage and lead to bone diseases. Compounds containing cadmium are also carcinogenic. When water is contaminated, it may result in stomach irritation.


21.12.2005 Romania - Avian Influenza Romania has found new suspected bird flu in hens in a village 160 km (100 miles) east of Bucharest and began culling domestic fowl there, officials said on Wednesday [21 Dec 2005]. The H5 type virus was confirmed last week in 2 villages in the Ialomita county, 100 km east of the capital, indicating the disease could be spreading towards Bucharest. Since October 2005, the Balkan country has found avian flu in 22 villages in and around the Danube delta on the Black Sea, where the deadly strain of the virus was first discovered some 300 km from Bucharest. 9 cases have been confirmed as the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain, but the disease has not appeared close to large cities, and officials have said it was unlikely to break out there.


20.12.2005 Chechnya - Undiagnosed Illness An outbreak of unknown disease has sickened 31 people in the Chechen village of Shelkovskaya. 6 pupils, a teacher and a charwoman have been hospitalised, head of the district security department Kazebek Gatsayev told Itar-Tass on Tuesday. "2 children in serious condition were rushed to a hospital in Grozny; others are in the Shelkovskoi district hospital," Gatsayev said. The patients show the same symptoms as the 13 schoolchildren who were taken to hospital in the village of Starogladovskaya on Monday. In Starogladovskaya, 4 villagers are in serious condition. They are feverish, and have headache and numbness in their limbs. The first reports about an outbreak of the disease came on 16 Dec 2005. At that time, 12 pupils from the Starogladovskaya school together with 2 teachers were rushed to the village hospital.
Specialists ruled out food poisoning. Head of the Shelkovskoi district administration Khusein Nukhayev suggested that the cause is a poison gas, but its type has defied analysis so far. A mobile laboratory is to arrive at the village from Rostov-on-Don on Tuesday. The school has been closed for toxicity expert examination. A group of doctors from Chechnya's disaster medicine center is working at the scene. Chechen prosecutors instituted criminal proceedings over breach of sanitary and epidemiological norms.


19.12.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza H5N1 (suspected) An 8-year-old Indonesian boy has died from the H5N1 strain of avian influenza virus, according to local tests, a Health Ministry official said on Monday [19 Dec 2005]. Hariadi Wibisono, Head of a Department charged with eradicating animal-borne diseases, said that the local test results had yet to be confirmed by a Hong Kong laboratory affiliated with the World Health Organization.
Indonesia has had 9 deaths from bird flu confirmed by the Hong Kong laboratory and 5 cases in which patients have survived. Besides the boy, Indonesia is also awaiting confirmation from Hong Kong of local tests which showed a 39-year-old man died of bird flu last week.


19.12.2005 Hong Kong - Typhus The Centre for Health Protection is reviewing 9 reports of typhoid fever in the past 3 weeks: 7 in Yuen Long, one in Sham Shui Po and an imported case. The 7 cases in Yuen Long included 4 children aged 9 to 13 in a single family, a 51-year-old man, and 2 girls aged 8 and 17. The Sham Shui Po case involved a 7-year-old boy. They developed symptoms, including fever, stomach pain and vomiting, between 18 Nov and 6 Dec 2005. All the Yuen Long patients were admitted to Tuen Mun Hospital. The 4 children from the same family and the 17-year-old girl are in stable condition, while the 8-year-old girl and the 51-year-old man have been discharged. The 7-year-old boy in Sham Shui Po was admitted to Caritas Medical Centre and is now in stable condition. Community Medicine Consultant Dr. Thomas Tsang said initial investigations did not reveal a single common food shop or hawker all the patients had patronized. The center is conducting detailed tests to find out whether the cases originated from a common source. More definitive laboratory results are expected in about 2 weeks. Typhoid fever is endemic in Hong Kong, Dr. Tsang said, adding there were from 0 to 11 cases reported monthly in the past 2 years. Hong Kong is divided into 18 districts. The districts in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon are urban districts; the others are rural.


18.12.2005 Russia/exChina - Water contamination Vladivostok, Russia : A toxic slick that threatened the water supply of several large Chinese cities along the Songhua river has reached Russian territory, Russia's emergencies minister said. "The water polluted with benzene today reached the Russian border and has flowed into the Amur river," which forms the border between the 2 countries, the minister, Sergei Shoigu, said in the city of Khabarovsk, near the Chinese border.


17.12.2005 Ukraine - Typhus 30 people have been hospitalized in western Ukraine on suspicion of having contracted typhoid fever, local residents and health officials told AFP. Typhoid has been confirmed in 8 of the patients, said Vera Chizh, the chief health official in the western Zakarpatye region. The victims are all residents of the village of Simer near Ukraine's border with Slovakia and are thought to have contracted the disease by drinking contaminated water from a well. The kindergarten in the village has been placed under quarantine, and officials are carrying out disinfection measures.


16.12.2005 China - Avian Influenza (Human) The Ministry of Health in China has confirmed an additional case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. The case is a 35 year old man from the south eastern province of Jiangxi. He developed symptoms of fever on 4 Dec 2005 followed by pneumonia. He remains hospitalized and is receiving intensive care. Agricultural authorities have confirmed the presence of the H5 virus subtype in ducks in the vicinity of the patient's residence. Family members and close contacts have been placed under medical observation. This is China's 6th laboratory confirmed human case. Of these cases, 2 have been fatal. To date, China has reported human cases in 5 provinces and regions: Hunan, Anhui (2 cases), Guangxi, Liaoning, and Jiangxi.


16.12.2005 Malawi - Cholera 2 people are reported to have died while 102 others are currently receiving treatment in Dedza following the outbreak of cholera in the district. Dedza becomes the 2nd district in the country to experience cholera outbreak after Mangochi, which detected its 1st cholera case in November 2005.


15.12.2005 Ukraine - Rabies A 53 year old woman died in the local hospital of Novoukrainckiy district, Kirovograd region. Earlier, she was admitted to hospital there on suspicion of having rabies. In September 2005, the woman sought medical attention after being bitten by a stray animal. The injured woman told physicians that, on 27 Sep 2005, she had been bitten by a fox-like dog running free in the streets of the village. Laboratory investigation in the Kirovograd Infectious Diseases Hospital confirmed the diagnosis of rabies infection in the patient.
This is the 2nd fatal case of rabies to have been reported in the Kirovograd region since the beginning of September 2005. At the end of October 2005, a 64 year old man died after having been bitten by a feral cat. He also was a resident of the Novoukrainskiy district of the Kirovograd region. This patient only sought medical attention 10 days before his death, although he had bitten by the cat in August 2005.


14.12.2005 Multicountry/exSpain - Salmonellosis An international outbreak control team (OCT) led by Health Protection Scotland investigated an outbreak of _Salmonella. Goldcoast infections in tourists returning from Majorca in September and October 2005 (1-3). The case definition agreed was as follows: a case of gastroenteritis caused by serotype Goldcoast in a patient who had visited Majorca one week before onset of symptoms, onset being between 20 Sep and 19 Oct 2005. A total of 148 cases of serotype Goldcoast meeting the outbreak case definition were reported from around Europe between 1 Oct and 1 Dec 2005: England and Wales (66), Scotland (28), Germany (17), Sweden (12), Norway (8), Ireland (6), Denmark (4), Finland (4), and Majorca (3). The last symptom onset date reported was 19 Oct 2005. The UK Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections reported 116 confirmed cases in England and Wales between 1 Oct and 1 Dec 2005, compared with 4 cases in the same period in 2004.


13.12.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza (Human) An Indonesian man who died last month has been confirmed as the country's 9th bird flu victim. Tests in Hong Kong showed that the 35 year old man died from the lethal H5N1 serotype of avian influenza virus, a top Indonesian health official said. The official, Hariadi Wibisono, said the man had a history of contact with poultry but gave no more details. The Hong Kong laboratory is affiliated with the World Health Organisation (WHO). The H5N1 virus has killed at least 70 people in South East Asia since the latest outbreak began in 2003. The latest victim lived in a residential areas in the capital, Jakarta, where he had contact with chickens that carried the virus, reports say. Five other people have contracted the H5N1 bird flu virus but survived in Indonesia, according to WHO.


13.12.2005 Peru - Dengue The Peruvian Ministry of Health (MINSA) has issued an alert. After an exhaustive study performed in Lima, MINSA announced that the presence of _Aedes aegypti_, the vector for dengue fever, has been detected in 112 areas in Lima (19 districts). They warn that there is a high risk for new outbreaks of the disease this summer (mid-December to mid-April).


13.12.2005 Indonesia - Dengue Dengue fever has killed 762 people in Indonesia so far this year [2005] and infected some 62 000.
The health ministry's director general for infectious disease, I Nyoman Kandun, provided the figures, warning that the toll from the mosquito-borne disease could rise considerably in the next few months. "The peak for dengue is around January and February," Kandun told AFP. Indonesia faces annual outbreaks of dengue. It infected 74 621 people in 2004, killing 862 [a fatality rate of 1155 per 100 000], data from the health ministry show. Kandun said the government was promoting environmental hygiene, including the elimination of possible breeding grounds for mosquitoes. One of those infected this year was former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, who had to be hospitalized for a few days in November 2005, but has since recovered.


12.12.2005 Costa Rica - Dengue Nearly 35 400 dengue fever cases were reported in Costa Rica from January to November 2005, up 311 percent from the same period of 2004, the Ministry of Health said Monday [05 December 2005]. It was the largest increase since 1993. The reported cases were also 147 percent higher than the largest yearly figure ever registered in Costa Rica -- the 14 279 cases in 1997. The ministry said 51 of the cases were accompanied by hemorrhagic fever, the most deadly version of the disease. It also reported the first 2 deaths of dengue fever in 6 years since the previous case in 1999.
However, the mosquito-borne disease's rate of spread was reduced by 68 percent in recent weeks to about 137 cases a week, thanks to a break in the heavy rains in the country. Costa Rica kicked off a campaign in August 2005 urging its people to eliminate possible breeding places for the mosquito _Aedes aegypti_ (the main transmission agent of dengue fever), which breeds in stagnant water.


11.12.2005 UK/exGambia - Malaria A series of 6 falciparum malaria cases have occurred in travellers recently returned from The Gambia. 2 cases are known to have died, and a further 2 are seriously ill. The cases, aged between 31 and 61 years, all returned to the United Kingdom (UK) and became ill in the second half of November 2005.
5 had been on holidays of 1-2 weeks, all in resorts within 20km of the Atlantic coast, with some cases having been on fishing or bird-watching excursions. The 6th case had visited the Gambia several times on business and had travelled a little further inland than the other cases. All of the cases had taken either no or inadequate chemoprophylaxis."


10.12.2005 Vietnam - Avian Influenza Bird flu has been reported in 2 more provinces in Vietnam; Yen Bai Province in the northern mountainous region and Quang Tri in the centre, the Animal Health Department reported on 8 Dec 2005. The latest outbreak killed 500 ducks in a household in Quang Tri's Gio Linh District late in November 2005, forcing the farmer to cull a total of 5000 birds. Later tests confirmed that the ducks had the H5N1 virus. The department also said yesterday that avian flu has been detected in a number of poultry farms in Son La, Thanh Hoa and Ninh Binh provinces, all previously hit by outbreaks. The outbreak has now affected 15 provinces and cities in Vietnam, while 5 provinces have since been declared free of bird flu after not seeing outbreaks for 21 days.


09.12.2005 Thailand - Avian Influenza (Human) The Ministry of Public Health in Thailand has confirmed a further case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. The case occurred in a 5-year-old boy, who developed symptoms on 25 Nov 2005, was hospitalized on 5 Dec, and died on 7 Dec 2005. The child resided in the central province of Nakhonnayok. A thorough investigation of this case is currently under way. Early results suggest that the child may have acquired his infection from dead chickens in the neighbourhood. His family members and neighbours have been placed under medical observation. All remain healthy to date. The child is the 5th laboratory-confirmed case in Thailand in 2005 and the 2nd death. Since Jan 2004, Thailand has reported 22 cases, of which 14 were fatal.


09.12.2005 Germany - Tularemia Up to now [8. December 2005], the number of people infected with tularemia after a hunt in Griesheim (Hessen, Germany) has increased to at least 6. Laboratory results are pending for another hunter. "We probably have one death" said Mrs. Doris Becker, spokeswoman of the administration. No laboratory results are available as the deceased had been already buried before tularemia was taken into account. In the press release is noted that he "died with typical symptoms". 20 men had participated at the hunt. All cases, the probable case, and the deceased were part of a group of 8 persons that gutted the hares. Their age was between 46 and 73 years. All but the one were treated immediately and are well now. All were suffering with "flu-like symptoms" high fever, malaise, muscle and joint pains, and swollen lymph nodes.


09.12.2005 China - Avian Influenza (Human) A 31-year-old farmer has been confirmed as China's 5th human case of avian influenza after she fell sick following contact with dead birds. However, she has since recovered. "The Ministry of Health reported on 8 Dec 2005 that a pneumonia case of unknown reason in Heishan county, Liaoning province, has been confirmed as having contracted avian influenza," the Xinhua news agency stated.


09.12.2005 Russia - Trichinellosis Epidemiologists fear that trichinellosis is worsening in the Altai region, the press-service of the Altai Regional Office of the Russian (Health) Protection Agency (Rospotrebnadzor) said. According to experts, up until 7 Dec 2005, 46 persons have been diagnosed with trichinellosis in the region this year. For all of 2004, the number was 33 cases. A principal cause of disease is the use of badger, pork or dog meat not boiled thoroughly and used in shish kebab and sausages.


08.12.2005 Russia - HFRS As of Wed 7 Dec 2005, 6 persons in the Orenburg Oblast (Region) have died as a result of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) [known locally as "mouse fever"] since the beginning of October 2005, according to Marina Sherstneva, a senior official of the Orenburg Regional Office of the Russian (Health) Protection Agency (Rospotrebnadzor). She stated that since the beginning of 2005, a total of 1158 suspected cases of HFRS had been recorded in the region. Of these, 16 were children under 14 years of age. By November of this year [2005], 758 of the suspected cases of HFRS had
been confirmed.


08.12.2005 Mexico - Rabies Dozens of dogs infected with rabies were detected this year [2005] in the valley between Cuautitlan and Ecatepec in Mexico state. According to health authorities, the number of infected dogs is near 100. "We now have 91 cases that have been reported as positive by the rabies laboratory," the State Health Secretary, Ms. Maria Elena Barrera-Tapia, confirmed. Ecatepec is the municipality with the highest number of infected dogs, according to official data. "We have 47 cases detected in Ecatepec municipality," the city council secretary, Mr. Jose Luis Flores, said. Authorities are concerned that the epidemic threat may reach Guadalupe highlands, where a case has already been detected. "There are packs of dogs there living in the highlands without any control," said Ms. Barrera-Tapia. In Guadalupe highlands, an area belonging to Coacalco municipality, a fence designed for trapping wild dogs was placed, but until now, only 8 animals had been captured. In addition to the proliferation of street dogs, another problem accounting for rabies spread is that fraudulent health personnel are administering vaccines, injecting substances different from rabies vaccine, while owners think that their pets are vaccinated; so it is important to detect these fraudulent health personnel. "These persons are easy to identify, since they come to the households and offer their vaccination services, but they also offer [parasite treatment] for animals and other vaccines, and they charge for their services. Immunization services run by the Health Secretary are free of charge," said Oscar Velasquez-Monroy, from the Epidemiological Surveillance area. From tomorrow, the State Health Secretary will initiate an emergency plan for preventing more rabies cases. "We are starting a new vaccination campaign in Mexico State from 6 Dec 2005, and we expect to complete vaccination in 100 000 households," added Mr. Velasquez-Monroy.


07.12.2005 China - Avian Influenza (Human) A girl from the southern Guangxi region is the country's 4th confirmed case in the last month. 2 female farmers from eastern Anhui province died from H5N1 avian influenza in November 2005. A young boy from central Henan also contracted the disease but recovered.


06.12.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza (suspected) An 8-month-old baby is the latest patient to test positive for avian influenza in Indonesia. Doctors believe the baby may have caught the disease from an infected pigeon. A spokesman at the Sulianti Soroso hospital in Jakarta says preliminary tests, yet to be confirmed by the World Health Organisation in Hong Kong, show that the child is suffering from the H5N1 strain of avian influenza. The total number of laboratory-confirmed human cases of avian influenza virus infection in Indonesia is 13, 8 with fatal outcomes. If the infection in the 8-month-old baby is confirmed, the total number of avian influenza Indonesia will become 14, and the total number of cases throughout East Asian since December 2003 will become 135.


05.12.2005 El Salvador - PARALYTIC SHELLFISH POISONING A 78-year-old woman died and another 7 persons were intoxicated in El Salvador after eating oysters presumably contaminated with red tide, a medical source said on Tuesday, 22 Nov 2005. The elderly woman, 81 years old, died on Monday, 21 Nov 2005 after eating oysters in Chiltiupan community, 55 km southeast of San Salvador. Karen Gudiel, head of a health unit in Puerto La Libertad, where the victim was cared for, said that the victim showed symptoms of intoxication, but she added that laboratory tests will reveal the true cause of her death. Another 7 persons, all of them relatives of the 1st victim, also were taken care of in the same health unit after eating the same shellfish, and they were referred afterwards to San Rafael Hospital in Santa Tecla, 12 km west of Capital City, San Salvador. On Monday 21 Nov 2005, authorities from the El Salvador Agriculture and Cattle Farming Ministry announced that a prohibition on consuming, commercializing and extracting shellfish will still be in force in the country, since shellfish is contaminated with red tide, and it is highly toxic.


04.12.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza (Human) Indonesia has had its 8th human death due to avian influenza confirmed by a Hong Kong laboratory affiliated with the World Health Organization, a senior Health Ministry official said on Sat 3 Dec 2005. Hariadi Wibisono told Reuters that the results [of diagnostic tests] on the 25-year-old woman, who died earlier this week, made her Indonesia's 8th confirmed death from H5N1 avian influenza virus infection. "We got the result this morning. She was positive," said Wibisono, who heads a department charged with eradicating animal-borne diseases. Officials have previously said the woman had contact with dead chickens before being admitted to a Jakarta hospital. Another 5 people [in addition to the other 7 fatal cases] have been confirmed to have contracted the virus in Indonesia but have survived.


04.12.2005 Denmark/exTurkey - Hepatitis A On Thu 3 Nov 2005, 4 cases of IgM-positive hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections were notified to the Department of Epidemiology at Statens Serum Institut in Denmark. All 4 patients fell ill between 12 and 20 Oct 2005. The patients, 3 women and one man, were part of a group of 29 Danish tourists who travelled to Turkey on an individually arranged group holiday at a resort near Antalya, between 17 and 24 Sep 2005. The group travelled together on a direct flight from Copenhagen.


03.12.2005 Romania - Avian Influenza 2 new avian influenza outbreaks have been confirmed by Bucharest laboratory analyses in the villages of Dudescu and Bumbacari, both in Braila county. The villages are now quarantined, the villagers are going to be vaccinated (human flu A vaccine), and have accepted having their fowl killed and incinerated. An outbreak of avian influenza in Periprava, Tulcea county was reported by the same channel yesterday.


03.12.2005 Russia - Hepatitis A 21 more people with symptoms of viral hepatitis A virus infection were hospitalized in Nizhniy Novgorod on Tue 29 Nov 2005, the press service of the regional Emergency Situation Authority told Interfax on Wed 30 Nov 2005. On the same day 14 persons, 2 of them children, were discharged. There remain 426 patients in medical institutions, 60 of them children and teenagers. The hepatitis rate in the city is 2-3 times higher than the regional average, the press service said. Since the beginning of the epidemic 3053 persons, 644 of them children, have been admitted to hospital.


02.12.2005 Indonesia - Dengue Jakarta's City-run hospitals Pasar Rebo and Budi Asih, both in East Jakarta, have added more beds along their corridors, after dozens of new dengue patients were admitted to the hospitals on Thursday [24 Nov 2005]. At Pasar Rebo hospital, 21 of 72 dengue patients were treated on additional beds along the corridors, while in Budi Asih, 22 of 55 patients were treated along its corridors. Pasar Rebo hospital spokesman Dedi Suryadi said that they would still accept new dengue patients as long as they were willing to be put along the corridors. "If they don't want to be transferred to other hospitals and are willing to be put along the corridors, we will treat them professionally," he said. Despite the increasing number of people treated for dengue, the city administration has refused to declare the dengue outbreak as an extraordinary occurrence, which would require the city administration to pool its resources to fight the outbreak.


01.12.2005 Pakistan - Dengue An outbreak of dengue has killed at least 5 people and infected 40 others in Pakistan's largest city, as the government battles to prevent it from taking on epidemic proportions. "5 patients suspected of having contracted Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) are dead, including a lady doctor, while 40 others are infected and are under observation in hospitals," a spokesman of the health ministry said. The spokesperson said that hospitals in this southern Pakistan port city had been put on alert and all patients coming to hospitals were being "carefully tested" for CCHF. The vector of the dangerous dengue fever is the _Aedes aegyptii_ mosquito that usually bites during the day.

30.11.2005 Mali - Yellow Fever As of 22 Nov 2005, WHO has received reports of 53 suspected cases and 23 deaths in the Bafoulabe district of Kayes region. The mass vaccination campaign in this district has been completed, and 186 553 persons have been immunized, resulting in 95 percent vaccination coverage.


30.11.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza (Human) A 16-year-old boy has been confirmed as the country's 12th human avian influenza case. Health ministry official Hariadi Wibisono was quoted by Agence France Presse as saying that the condition of the boy, who was admitted to the state hospital in West Java's provincial capital Bandung on 15 Nov 2005, was good but he was infected. Tests (on blood) taken from the 16-year-old boy, both locally and by the World Health Organization (WHO), show that he is a bird flu patient, he said. "We have received news that his condition is quite good and it is hoped that he can survive," he added.


29.11.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza Authorities have so far confirmed that the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus has infected fowl through 23 of Indonesia's 33 provinces, but senior officials said new infections were suspected elsewhere and that the outbreaks increase the risk of the virus mutating into a strain that's more contagious to humans and could lead to a pandemic that health experts fear could kill millions. "It might have spread to more than 23 provinces," Agriculture Minister Anton Apriantono told reporters. "University students have collected samples from chickens in Kalimantan, Sumatra and other places. We are now analyzing them." Apriantono expected that the test results, conducted on blood and other samples from fowl collected by veterinary students from 4 universities, would be announced on 15 Dec 2005.


28.11.2005 Indonesia - Anthrax Health officials in the South Sulawesi city of Makassar carried out house-to-house checks for signs of anthrax infections in humans following the deaths of at least 20 animals. 60 officials were deployed to 'inform the population about the disease and what to do to prevent it, and at the same time... detect any cases of human infection,' Makassar's health office head Naisah said. Naisah told Agence France-Presse that after the 1st case of animal anthrax infection was confirmed on 11 Nov 2005, local authorities set up a centre to deal with the outbreak at Tamangapa village, with more than 200 people appearing for checks. She said health officials had taken blood samples from 11 people. 4 of them showed superficial symptoms of anthrax and the rest were people with a high susceptibility to the disease because of their work.


27.11.2005 Vietnam - Avian Influenza (Human) As of 25 Nov 2005, The Ministry of Health in Viet Nam has confirmed a further case of human infection with H5N1 avian influenza virus. The case is a 15-year-old boy from Hai Phong Province. He developed symptoms on 14 Nov 2005 and was hospitalized on 16 Nov 2005. He has been discharged from hospital and is recovering. Since mid-December 2004, Viet Nam has reported 66 cases, of which 22 died.


26.11.2005 Venezuale - Yellow Fever 12 cases of YF have been reported through Epidemiological Week (EW) 45 [6-12 Nov 2005], as follows:
Merida state: 1 (EW 17), 2 (EW 20)
Apure state: 1 (EW 35)
Bolivar state: 1 (EW 36)
Portuguesa state: 7 (EW 34-40)
602 suspect cases have been investigated. The aforementioned 12 were confirmed as YF, 100 as hepatitis A, 9 as hepatitis B, and 39 as leptospirosis. More tests are pending.


25.11.2005 Pakistan - Hemorrhagic Fever More than 40 people have been diagnosed with hemorrhagic fever and are being treated in Karachi, a top health official in the Sindh government told news agencies on Fri 25 Nov 2005. Hospitals were on alert after the fever was confirmed to have killed 5 people, including a woman doctor, in the last 6 weeks, health officials said. Doctors in Karachi have been ordered to take special protective measures, as the disease can spread by massive bleeding, with which patients with the fever suffer, he said. "All hospitals were put on high alert after 5 people died of hemorrhagic fever, and there are over 40 under treatment," Sindh Health Secretary Naushad Sheikh said.


25.11.2005 China - Avian Influenza (Human) As of 24 Nov 2005, the Ministry of Health in China has confirmed a further case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. The case, which was fatal, occurred in a 35-year-old woman who worked as a farmer in the southeastern province of Anhui. She developed symptoms on 11 Nov 2005, was hospitalized on 15 Nov 2005 and died on 22 Nov 2005. This is the 3rd laboratory-confirmed case reported in China and the 2nd from Anhui Province. Of these cases, 2 have been fatal.
The Chinese Ministry of Health has invited WHO to participate in a joint mission to Anhui Province. The mission will review laboratory findings and investigate the exposure histories of the 2 cases reported there. Since mid-October 2005, China has reported a recurrence of poultry outbreaks in several parts of the country.


24.11.2005 Sudan - Yellow Fever As of today [24 Nov], there has been a total of 491 cases including 126 related deaths. The sharp increase in number of cases compared to the number of 457 cases reported on 21 Nov 2005 is due to the availability of data, and not to a factual increase in cases. 4 new cases were reported from Abujibeha and Kadugli. 28.5 percent of all cases were under 15 years old. The most affected localities are Dilling, Abu Jibeha and Rashad. New cases were reported from Abyei, Lagawa and elsewhere. A total of 7 localities are affected at the moment. There is a potential risk for the disease to spread to neighbouring states, as some patients have sought treatment in El Obeid Hospital in North Kordofan.


23.11.2005 Brasil - Spotted Fever Health officials on Mon 14 Nov 2005 detected 2 more suspected cases of Brazilian spotted fever, a rare disease that has infected at least 5 people and killed 2 in a nearby mountain resort. Health authorities in the city of Petropolis, 60 km (40 miles) outside of Rio de Janeiro, said a 21-year-old man and an 8-year-old girl were believed to have contracted the disease. The man was in good condition and being treated at home. The girl had been hospitalized. Officials said lab results were expected shortly. Earlier in November 2005, a health inspector and a journalist died from the disease after spending time in the mountain region of Itaipava near Rio, where the ticks that spread the disease are common. Ticks often transmit diseases to dogs but rarely to humans. When treated early with antimicrobial agents, Brazilian spotted fever usually is not fatal.


22.11.2005 India (Kerala) - Rabies The newspaper Malayala Manorama reported on Sun 20 Nov 2005 the deaths of 2 cows due to rabies; 5 cows bitten by a rabid dog are undergoing treatment. All were in one township in Trivandrum district. The deaths of 4 persons due to rabies were reported in different parts of Kerala (one in Trivandrum district) on 7 Apr, 7 Jun, 1 Jul & 6 Sep 2005. Rabid dog bites have been reported frequently in several towns in Kerala during recent months (and years). I recall the reports on one tourist from Germany and another from the UK who developed rabies after returning from India in 2005.
Visitors must seek medical attention immediately [if wounded or bitten] by any animal. The best First Aid is washing the wound with soap and copious amounts of water. This must be done within minutes of the bite. When visiting a medical facility, they should specifically ask for rabies prophylaxis. Those who can take pre-exposure rabies immunization should consider this option with their doctor prior to travel to rabies-endemic countries.


21.11.2005 Indonesia - Dengue According to figures from the Jakarta Health Agency, the capital has recorded 16 840 cases of dengue from January to October 2005, with 74 deaths. Meanwhile, the city's hospitals are continuing to receive dengue patients. The spread of dengue in Central Java province Semarang has reached alarming proportions, with 80 fatalities having been reported since January this year, a senior health official said on Tuesday [15 Nov 2005].


21.11.2005 Hongkong/exIndonesia - Dengue The Center for Health Protection has confirmed an imported case of dengue fever in a 24 year old woman, bringing the year's total to 25, all imported. The patient traveled to Indonesia from 24 Oct to 7 Nov 2005. She came down with a fever, cough and sore throat on 8 Nov 2005. She has been receiving treatment in the United Christian Hospital since 9 Nov 2005 and is now in stable condition. Her home contacts do not have any symptoms. People should stay alert to the threat of dengue fever and take measures against mosquito breeding. Travelers should wear long-sleeved tops and trousers and use insect repellent and mosquito screens or nets when rooms are not air-conditioned. Travelers who feel unwell after returning from abroad should consult a doctor as soon as possible and provide details of their travel to the doctor.


21.11.2005 Malaysia - Dengue Health Ministry's director of disease control, Dr Ramlee Rahmat, said suspected dengue cases also rose last week [2nd week November 2005], from 542 cases the week before to 751 cases, a rise of 208 cases. Of the total, 712 were normal dengue cases, while 39 were of the hemorrhagic type, which can lead to death, he told a press conference held weekly to provide updates on the dengue outbreak at the ministry here on Tuesday [15 Nov 2005]. Dr Ramlee said the increase was expected, as many cases were not reported during the festive holiday break, as many people had been on leave. Until Saturday, cumulative dengue cases for the year were 34 485, with 86 deaths. For the same period last year [2004], dengue totaled 26 870 cases with 84 fatalities.


20.11.2005 Canada - Avian Influenza As a precautionary measure, the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) have quarantined a commercial farm in British Columbia, where a duck has tested positive for an avian influenza-type virus. It is important to note that this recent development does not indicate a threat to human health, officials stated. The positive sample was confirmed on friday (18 Nov 2005) at the Provincial Animal Health Centre lab in Abbotsford.


19.11.2005 Vietnam - Avian Influenza The northern province of Phu Tho declared on 18 Nov 2005 a bird flu outbreak after finding 100 ducks dead at a farm in Dong Thinh village, Yen Lap district. The new outbreaks brought the total number of provinces and cities hit by the epidemic to 17, said the Veterinary Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on 18 Nov 2005. Thai Binh province discovered the death of 49 chickens at a farm in Hung Ha district, on 13 Nov 2005. The dead birds tested positive for the H5N1 strain of the avian flu virus. So far almost 900 000 poultry across the country have been culled in the fight against bird flu.


19.11.2005 Indonesia - Malaria Officials confirmed an outbreak of malaria on the island Lombok (next to Bali). First cases were detected at the end of October (when the rainy season started). At least 6 people died and more than 260 people have been treated at local hospitals in the eastern area of Lombok. Malaria is endemic in the area, but officials are surprised about the high numbers of cases.


18.11.2005 China - Avian Influenza The World Health Organization stated on Thu 17 Nov 2005 that it sees no sign that avian influenza is being passed from person to person after China reported its first cases of human infection. "There is no evidence for human transmission so far," said Henk Bekedam, the WHO representative in China. "If there would be something like that, we would expect more people would be unexpectedly dying of very severe pneumonia." The Chinese Health Ministry reported on Wed 16 Nov 2005 China's first human cases of bird flu. It said there were 2 confirmed cases -- a 24 year old woman who had died and a 9 year old boy who had recovered. It said the boy's 12 year old sister, who died, was a suspected case.


17.11.2005 China - Avian Influenza (suspected) The Chinese Ministry of Health today confirmed 3 human cases of bird flu, including 2 in central China's Hunan Province and one in east China's Anhui Province.


16.11.2005 China - Avian Influenza (suspected) A senior Chinese official says H5N1 antibodies have been detected in a 9-year-old boy in Hunan province, the 1st admission of a human bird flu infection in China, the South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday [16 Nov 2005 - time zone difference accounts for this being posted on 15 Nov 2005 at GMT-5 - tho]. The paper, quoting Qi Xiaoqiu, director of the Ministry of Health's department of disease control, said the government was waiting for the results of a joint investigation with the World Health Organisation before confirming whether the boy was the 1st human case of avian influenza on the mainland. The boy and his 12-year-old sister fell ill last month and were treated for pneumonia symptoms. The boy was discharged from hospital last weekend but his sister died. Chinese officials said initial tests showed she had tested negative for bird flu.


15.11.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza (Human) Indonesia's president said on Mon 14 Nov 2005 that 7 people had died in the country from avian influenza, announcing a higher death toll than the World Health Organization, which puts the number of confirmed fatalities at 5. "I have paid special attention to the greater Jakarta area. From what I have gathered, there are 11 (positive) sufferers, and out of those 7 have died," Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told a news conference after a cabinet meeting to discuss the H5N1 virus outbreak.
>WHO does not confirm cases until the results of laboratory testing have been completed at the WHO reference laboratory in Hong Kong. - tho<


14.11.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza (suspected) An Indonesian women died of suspected avian influenza, a hospital spokesman said on Sun 13 Nov 2005, adding that tests would be carried out to confirm the cause of death. Dr. Ilham Patu said that "all the indications" were that the 20-year-old woman had contracted the virus. She died late on Saturday [12 Nov 2005] in Jakarta's Infectious Diseases Hospital, where all suspected cases of bird flu in the capital are treated, he said. Patu said the woman lived close to a flock of backyard chickens that died suddenly. She had a high fever and breathing difficulties when she died. Tests would be carried out on Mon 14 Nov 2005 to confirm the diagnosis, he said. Samples would also be sent to a Hong Kong laboratory for further tests.


13.11.2005 Thailand - Avian Influenza (Human) Thailand has reported its 21st human case of H5N1 avian influenza. An 18-month-old boy in Bangkok was diagnosed with the H5N1 virus on Friday (11.11.2005), but he was already well on the way to recovery, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) report quoting Thawat Sunthrajarn, Thailand's disease control director. "He is recovering and almost back to normal," Thawat said. An Associated Press (AP) report said the boy became ill soon after the death of 3 fighting cocks and a chicken kept in his household in the Bangkok suburb of Minburi. According to the AFP report, Thawat said the boy's 65-year-old grandmother also has symptoms, and test results on her were awaited. The boy's case is Thailand's 4th in the past month, according to AFP. Before mid-October 2005, the country had gone for more than a year with no human cases. 13 of the 21 cases there have been fatal.


13.11.2005 Mali - Yellow Fever The Ministry of Health has notified WHO of a total of 21 suspected cases and 14 deaths in the Kayes region, primarily affecting Bafoulabe district, between 7 and 27 Oct 2005. After initial tests at the national reference laboratory in Mali, 14 blood specimens taken from suspected cases were sent to the WHO Collaborating Centre for Yellow Fever, the Pasteur Institute, Dakar, Senegal. 4 samples were positive for yellow fever.


13.11.2005 Kazakhstan - Anthrax The State Department of Sanitary and Epidemiologic Supervision of the City of Semipalatinsk has reported that a resident of the village of Teristanbaly in the Zharminskiy district of the East Kazakhstan region has been hospitalized in the Semipalatinsk infectious disease hospital. The preliminary diagnosis is cutaneous anthrax. Anti-epidemic measures have been carried out at the focus of infection. This is the 2nd case of anthrax in the East-Kazakhstan region in 2005. In July an anthrax case was registered in a resident of the Ajagozsky district of the East-Kazakhstan region.


12.11.2005 Haiti, Canada exHaiti - Malaria GeoSentinel has been informed that here have been 2 deaths in the past 5 days. Both were in foreign citizens usually resident in Haiti not taking any malaria chemoprophylaxis. Both had spent the weekend of 17 Oct 2005 in the Cote des Arcadins area on the gulf side of the island. Slide diagnosis of one case has been confirmed in Canada, where one patient died after becoming ill while visiting there. CDC in the US is providing technical assistance with the specimens in the 2nd case, which had been slide-diagnosed after evacuation to a US hospital. Both patients had rapidly fulminant disease with DIC very consistent with malaria, but this naturally raised the concern about other etiologies in the expatriate community in Haiti. Falciparum malaria is known to be endemic in Haiti, and these cases serve as a reminder of the perils of forgoing malaria prophylaxis.
Malaria remains a major problem in Haiti, though fortunately chloroquine resistance has not yet been a significant issue. These cases of presumed _Plasmodium falciparum_ malaria, one fatal, are a reminder for the need for chemoprophylaxis.


12.11.2005 New Zealand/North Island - Shigellosis The region's Medical Officer of Health, Jonathan Jarman, says 25 people suffering cramps and diarrhea have been diagnosed with shigellosis. He says there were would normally only be 2 or 3 cases a year. Dr Jarman says it seems the bacteria came from shellfish that was harvested from beds contaminated with human waste. He says all of the people they have spoken to ate raw oysters from the Opua marina in the Bay of Islands.


12.11.2005 Sao Tome - Cholera (update) The month-old cholera epidemic in Sao Tome has claimed 9 lives and struck nearly 300 people, a health official from the West African archipelago said Tue, 8 Nov 2005. According to reports, coordinator of the epidemic's emergency team Manuel Carvalho said 126 new cholera cases and 5 deaths from the disease had been registered during the past 8 days, raising totals to 292 cases and 9 fatalities. Carvalho said all districts of Sao Tome Island are affected, but the outlying island of Principe remains untouched. Authorities have urged the islanders to avoid using untreated water and uncooked foods and to destroy garbage and trash.


11.11.2005 Kuwait - Avian Influenza H5N1 One of 2 birds found infected with bird flu in Kuwait has the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus, health authorities have confirmed. H5N1 is the strain that has devastated poultry stocks and killed more than 60 people in Asia. The infected bird was a migrating flamingo found on a Kuwait beach. The other was an imported falcon found to have the milder H5N2 variant. The infected birds in Kuwait are the 1st known cases of the virus in the Persian Gulf region.


11.11.2005 China - Avian Influenza H5N1 Healthcare Authorities in China said on Thu [10 Nov 2005] that they have quarantined 116 people in northeastern Liaoning province after 2 new outbreaks of avian influenza [in poultry] there. The province has now suffered 3 outbreaks in less than 3 weeks despite a massive campaign to contain the virus. The Chinese authorities did not make clear the extent to which the 116 people in Liaoning were being isolated. The country has imposed quarantines in other bird-flu afflicted areas but in at least one case residents were restricted only from leaving their village. The authorities also disinfected homes, water wells, and streets within 2 miles of the latest outbreak sites on f
mily chicken farms in Liaoning, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.



10.11.2005 Armenia - Anthrax (Suspected) A case of anthrax in a person has been registered in the Armenian city of Gjumri. A 47-year-old woman bought some meat in the local market and, after preparing the food, developed an ulcer on her hand. The woman went to the medical aid clinic and was sent to the infectious disease hospital. The press-secretary of the Ministry of Health of Armenia has stated that, after having carried out bacteriological analysis, experts from Gjumri have diagnosed anthrax in the woman. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Health has not yet received final confirmation. Results will be known in the near future.


09.11.2005 Vietnam - Avian Influenza (Human) Viet Nam on Tuesday [8 Nov 2005] confirmed its 42nd human death from bird flu, its first in more than 3 months, a Health Ministry official said. The 35-year-old man, who died on 29 Oct 2005, was admitted to a Hanoi hospital 4 days after his family bought a prepared chicken from a market near his house in the Dong Da District of Hanoi, said Nguyen Van Binh, deputy director of the Preventive Medicine Department under the Ministry of Health. Other family members did not show any symptoms of bird flu, he said.


09.11.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza (Human-suspected) An Indonesian girl who died on Tuesday [8 Nov 2005] is suspected to have been the country's 6th avian influenza victim, but a hospital spokesman said officials are waiting for local test results. The latest death, if confirmed by further testing, would bring to 10 the number of human cases in the world's 4th most populous nation. 5 Indonesians are confirmed to have died. The 16-year-old girl was admitted to a Jakarta hospital on Sunday [6 Nov 2005] suffering from high fever and heavy pneumonia and died on Tuesday morning [8 Nov 2005].


08.11.2005 China - Avian Influenza All the 168 live poultry markets in Beijing were shut yesterday as the authorities beefed up efforts to contain the spread of the bird flu virus. The municipal government also closed pet-bird markets, banned the raising of chickens in urban areas, and asked citizens to keep their pigeons in cages.


07.11.2005 Brasil - Spottet Fever Rio de Janeiro's sanitary control superintendent became the 2nd fatal victim of what doctors suspect is tick-borne spotted fever after apparently contracting the disease in a mountain resort. Doctors said the 41-year-old died after spending 13 days in intensive care. Last Thu, 27 Oct 2005, another man died with similar symptoms. A 62-year-old man is in hospital, also with suspected spotted fever. All of them had been staying in a small hotel in Itaipava, a popular mountain resort next to Rio, where they apparently had been bitten by ticks carrying spotted fever. Epidemiologists found infected ticks in the forest near the hotel. Spotted fever is curable if diagnosed and treated with antibiotics within a week after infection. As time passes, the greater the risks of death from the disease, which affects blood vessel walls. Rash on the patient's skin is one of the key symptoms.


06.11.2005 Vietnam - Dengue Viet Nam has had more than 35 700 dengue cases so far this year, up 4 per cent compared to the same period last year [2004], the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) reported. Dengue fever has already infected 24 545 people in the Mekong Delta in 2005. Of the delta's provinces, Dong Thap and An Giang have the largest number of victims, with a total of 7350 people affected.


06.11.2005 Venezuela - Dengue During the current epidemiological week 1100 dengue fever cases were diagnosed, 67 of them were dengue hemorrhagic fever. Federal Entities reporting most cases are as follows: Capital District (117), Merida (115), Barinas (105), Miranda (94), and Carabobo (87).


05.11.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza (Human) The Indonesian Health Ministry today confirmed the country's 5th human death from avian influenza after receiving test reports from the World Health Organization's laboratory in Hong Kong. It would be the 63rd such death reported in Asia since 2004. "We have had a total of 9 cases of bird flu infections in humans, 5 of whom have died," Hariadi Wibisono, the Ministry's Director, said in a telephone interview in Jakarta. "The latest fatality is a 19-year-old woman who died on 28 Oct 2005 in Tangerang, near Jakarta".
The Hong Kong laboratory also confirmed another case, an 8-year-old boy, a relative of the dead woman, who is infected with the H5N1 virus, Wibisono said. The boy is currently hospitalized at the Sulianti Saroso hospital for infectious disease in north Jakarta, he said. A nurse who had contact with the deceased patient during her treatment has herself been admitted to hospital with similar symptoms. The results of tests on the nurse are pending. If the nurse is confirmed as a human case of avian influenza virus infection, this cluster of cases may be indicative of person-to-person transmission of avian H5N1 influenza virus.


05.11.2005 Malaysia - Dengue 2 more deaths last week took the dengue death toll to 83 this year. Up to last Saturday, the accumulated dengue fever cases so far in 2005 stood at 32 950 cases, including 1635 cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever [DHF], an increase of 33.4 per cent compared to 24 699 cases during the same period last year.


05.11.2005 Russia - uiRespiratory Illness A pneumonia outbreak has been detected in the city of Borodino (Krasnoyarsk region), announced Nina Bogalej, manager of the pediatrics department of a local hospital. In the last several days, over 60 inhabitants of Borodino have sought medical treatment, mainly children 2-13 years of age. Approximately half the patients had fevers of up to 40 degrees Celsius [104 Fahrenheit].


05.11.2005 India - Japanese Encephalitis The official death toll from Japanese encephalitis in Uttar Pradesh climbed to more than 1 300 on Friday, health officials said. The encephalitis outbreak was first reported from Gorakhpur, 250 kilometers southeast of Lucknow in July and more than 4 900 cases have since been.


05.11.2005 Sao Tome - Cholera 4 people have died as a result of a cholera outbreak in Sao Tome and Principe since Oct 2005, the Lusa news agency reported on Wed, 2 Nov 2005 citing health officials in the West African island nation. There were 165 registered cases in October 2005. The epidemic is limited to Sao Tome, the archipelago's main island, and appears to have resulted from the use of untreated river water, they said. It is the 2nd cholera outbreak in the former Portuguese colony, a remote pair of volcanic islands that lie on the equator, in the past 5 months.


05.11.2005 Mali - Yellow Fever As of 31 Oct 2005, WHO has received reports of 2 suspected deaths from yellow fever in the region of Kayes. It was possible to obtain laboratory confirmation of one of these cases, a boy 3 years old. The tests were carried out at the national reference laboratory in Mali and then confirmed at the regional reference laboratory, the WHO Collaborating Centre for Yellow Fever, the Pasteur Institute, Dakar, Senegal. A vaccination campaign is ongoing in the districts of Bafoulabe, Kadiolo, Kolondieba, Selingue and Yanfolila districts, where 300 000 persons have been vaccinated to date. Plans are under way to extend the coverage to more districts in the region.


04.11.2005 Australia/NSW - Q-Fever Farmers are being encouraged to take precautions after an outbreak of Q fever in the past 6 weeks. 5 people, including 3 from the New England region, have been diagnosed in the Hunter New England area, with all involved in calving activities.


03.11.2005 Russia - Haemorrhagic Fever A man has died in Orenburg as a result of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). The chief physician of the city infectious diseases hospital stated that about 70 patients with a similar diagnosis are currently being treated in city hospitals. 5-7 new patients are being admitted daily at the present time. An outbreak in the region of this magnitude has not been observed for 4 years. The reason for the extent of the outbreak appears to be a population explosion in the field mouse population during a dry summer and autumn, conditions favourable for breeding.


03.11.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza (Human) Indonesia's health minister said on Thursday [3 Nov 2005] that 3 children are showing symptoms of avian influenza, Elshinta news radio reported. It said the 3, all under 5 years of age, were being treated at a hospital in Jakarta and quoted minister Siti Fadillah Supari as saying they showed such symptoms as high fever, shortness of breath and signs of viral infection [?]. Asked by a reporter whether test results had been received, Supari said: "Not yet, maybe in 2 or 3 days hopefully, because this is a holiday, but looking at the symptoms ... there's a strong possibility that it is avian influenza."


03.11.2005 Brasil - Rabies 23 people, including 18 children and teenagers, have been killed in a human rabies outbreak in northeast Brazil in the past 2 months, the Health Ministry said Tuesday [1 Nov 2005]. The disease is transmitted to humans by blood-eating [vampire] bats, according to the Ministry. All these cases were reported in the rural areas of the northeastern state of Maranhao, said the Ministry. The 1st death happened in August [2005]. Many houses in marshlands do not have screens in the windows and have large holes in the floor and ceiling, making it easy for vampire bats to break in, said the Ministry spokesperson. All the cases [bat attacks] took place at night.


03.11.2005 Guinea - Yellow fever As of 30 Oct 2005, the Ministry of Health, Guinea has reported a total of 9 cases of acute jaundice syndrome suspected to be yellow fever. Preliminary confirmation of 6 cases was carried out by the National Reference Laboratory of Donka hospital. Samples from the 9 cases have been sent for final confirmation to the WHO Collaborating Centre for Yellow Fever, the Pasteur Institute at Dakar, Senegal. The cases occurred between 3-23 Oct 2005 in the regions of Boke (3 cases), Kankan (2 cases), N'Zerekore (one case), Faranah (one case) and Conakry city (2 cases).
WA geographic outline will help to have a better idea about the index country of interest. Guinea is in western Africa on the North Atlantic Ocean and borders Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. French is the official language. Yellow fever is endemic to this neighborhood and most of the African continent.


02.11.2005 Thailand - Avian Influenza (Human) A Thai woman has tested positive for avian influenza, senior health officials said on Mon 31 Oct 2005, making her the 20th person to have caught the deadly disease since it hit the country 2 years ago. "A 50-year-old woman is confirmed to have [contracted avian influenza] after all 3 lab tests showed positive results," Paijit Warachit, Head of the Department of Medical Sciences, told Reuters. "Her condition is improving and I believe she will be well soon," Paijit said.


01.11.2005 Russia - Pseudotuberculosis 13 cases of infection due to _Yersinia pseudotuberculosis_ have been found in 13 inhabitants of the capital city of Abakan, Republic Khakassia (located in the south of Eastern Siberia). 10 of them are children. Galina Velichko, the chief of an epidemiological department of a republican public health service, has said that the infection is transferred by rodents. In the summer, vegetables are not stored for a long time but are eaten from kitchen gardens, therefore, the level of morbidity is lower than in autumn and winter. It is important to store vegetables safely and, at the time of use, to carefully wash them.

31.10.2005 USA/Texas - Dengue Over a dozen cases of dengue fever have been reported in 2 south Texas counties. City officials held an emergency meeting on Wednesday [26 Oct 2005] afternoon to ask leaders in all Valley cities to take the necessary precautions to prevent further spread of the disease. Dengue fever is spread by mosquitoes but can only be developed in artificial items such as flower pots or tires containing standing water. Health officials do believe the disease migrated to the states from across the border.
Some symptoms of dengue fever are coughing, fever and body aches. If you develop these flu-like symptoms, the Hidalgo County Health Department recommends you ask your private doctor to check for dengue fever.


30.10.2005 Nigeria - uiDeath No fewer than 54 children have been reported dead after a strange illness hit the Kazaire Local Government Area of Jigawa State. Several others are now critically ill in the General Hospital in the area. The strange illness, which begins with severe fever, attacks children between the ages of 2 and 5years. Investigation revealed that victims first develop rashes and in no time die. Though local health authorities have began a probe into the outbreak, parents now live in fear, as the illness has affected several communities.


30.10.2005 Vietnam - Avian Influenza (suspected) 2 people showing symptoms of avian influenza virus infection have died in the past week in Viet Nam, where the disease has already killed more than 40 people, a hospital official said on Saturday [29 Oct 2005]. "It's very, very clear that all the critical symptoms pointed to bird flu," Dr Nguyen Ngoc Tai, the Director of the Vietnam-Cuba Hospital in Dong Hoi, central Viet Nam, told Reuters. Tai said a 3rd person with symptoms of the disease had been sent to a better-equipped hospital in Hue City, central Viet Nam, for treatment.


29.10.2005 Multicountry (ex Spain) - Salmonellosis By 27 Oct 2005, 32 cases of gastroenteritis due to Salmonella [_S. enterica_ serotype] Goldcoast had been detected in tourists who are known to have stayed in Majorca (Spain) during Sep and Oct 2005. Health Protection Scotland has reported 24 cases in Scottish tourists. By 26 Oct 2005, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre of Ireland had reported 2 cases of serotype Goldcoast in tourists. There have also been 3 cases in Swedish tourists, 2 cases in Danish tourists and 1 case in a Norwegian tourist. The Health Protection Agency's Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens in England and Wales has reported 68 cases of serotype Goldcoast between 1-25 Oct 2005, compared with only 3 cases in the same period in 2004. The majority of cases are in patients who are believed to have visited Majorca.


29.10.2005 Nigeria - Cholera A cholera epidemic has killed no fewer than 26 people in Biu local government area of Borno State as health workers and authorities battle to halt its spread to other parts of the state. The medical organization, Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), which is currently engaged in providing medical assistance and drugs to victims of the disease, said the cholera epidemic was caused by poor sanitation, poor toilet systems, and unclean water.


28.10.2005 Philippines - Typhoid Fever At least 2 persons died while more than 250 others were brought to the hospital for treatment due to the outbreak of typhoid fever and diarrhea in the towns of Borbon and Sibonga in Cebu province. A woman died and over 200 people, mostly children, have been treated in the hospital as a typhoid fever outbreak hit the northern town of Borbon town 2 weeks ago. A 53-year-old man also died and at least 50 others were confirmed to have suffered from diarrhea in the municipality of Sibonga since last week. According to a woman whose 2 children, aged 4 and 12 years, were brought to the hospital of Sibonga yesterday due to diarrhea, there are more than 100 persons that have fallen ill due to diarrhea. The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Sibonga, however, confirmed only 50 persons who fell ill of diarrhea in sitio Bulok-Bulok, barangay Mangyan.


27.10.2005 Russia/Khabarovsk - Hemorrhagic Fever During the past 10 days, 6 cases of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) have been registered in the Khabarovsk region. 6 HFRS cases are considered by the Khabarovsk [epidemiologic] station to be indicative of a significant outbreak of disease. Cases of HFRS disease have been encountered in the districts of Bikinskiy, Vyazemskiy and Khabarovsk. During the whole of last year [2004], only 16 cases of HFRS were recorded in the Khabarovsk region. According to [local epidemiologists, 50 percent] of rodents in the Khabarovsk region are infected with [the virus causing] HFRS. HFRS can be propagated by droplet transmission and by detritus from rodent habitats.


26.10.2005 India - Enzephalitis At least 40 children have died and hundreds have been admitted to hospitals in India's northern Uttar Pradesh state in an outbreak of [Coxsackievirus-associated] encephalitis, health authorities said on Tuesday [25 Oct 2005]. More than 1000 people, mostly children, have died also in the state since August 2005 from another form of the brain inflammation known as Japanese encephalitis.


25.10.2005 Brasil - Rabies 7 people (5 children between 5 and 9 years old and 2 elderly people) have died since the beginning of the week [3rd week October 2005] in Turiassu township, 400 km from the state capital, Sao Luis (Maranhao), from rabies transmitted by the bite of vampire bats. 3 more children and 2 elderly persons have been admitted to the hospital. 5 of the victims came from the village of Antonio Dino, 33 km from the center of Turiassu, the rest from the village of Porto Santo.


24.10.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza (human) The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed 2 additional cases of human infection with H5N1 avian influenza. The 1st newly confirmed case is a 4-year-old boy from Sumatra Island in Lampung Province. He developed symptoms on 4 Oct 2005, was hospitalized, recovered fully, and has returned home. This case is the nephew of the 21-year-old man from Lampung, who was reported on 10 Oct 2005. Although the 2 cases are related and lived in the same neighborhood, human-to-human transmission is considered unlikely. The 2nd newly confirmed case was a 23-year-old man from Bogor, West Java. He was hospitalized on 28 Sep 2005 and died on 30 Sep 2005.


24.10.2005 Thailand - Avian Influenza (human) The Ministry of Public Health in Thailand has confirmed an additional case of human infection with H5N1 avian influenza. The patient, a 7-year-old boy from Kanchanaburi Province, developed symptoms on 16 Oct 2005 and was hospitalized on 19 Oct 2005. He is recovering. He is the son of a confirmed case who died on 19 Oct 2005.


23.10.2005 Malaysia - Dengue More than 1200 suspected cases of dengue fever were reported in Malaysia last week, the Health Ministry said, with the death toll from the mosquito-borne disease reaching 76 so far in 2005. Between January and the 1st week of October 2005, 29 820 suspected dengue cases were recorded, an increase of nearly 30 percent from the 23 163 cases in the same period of 2004.


22.10.2005 Thailand - Avian Influenza (Human) The 7-year-old son of a Thai farmer who died 2 days ago of H5N1 avian influenza also has the virus, but there is no evidence that the boy caught it from his father, according to news services. Reuters and Agence France-Presse reports said the boy tested positive for the virus, but they didn't say what test was used or where it was done. The boy is hospitalized but is expected to recover. "There is no evidence that the boy contracted the disease from his father," said Siriraj Hospital Director Prasit Watanapa, as quoted in the Agence France Presse report. The father fell ill after slaughtering sick chickens. Prasit said the boy "had close contact with the virus" from being around the chickens, AFP reported. "The H5N1 viruses found in the boy and the father were the same strain that has been found for the last 2 years, with no signs of a mutation," Prasit added. Reuters reported that the 7-year-old was treated with the anti-flu drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu) early in his illness. The boy has recovered his appetite and his fever has resolved, the story said. The World Health Organization (WHO), which has not yet confirmed the boy's case, currently lists a total f 118 human cases, with 61 deaths.


22.10.2005 Belgium/exTurkey - Cholera 2 confirmed and 4 probable cases of cholera have been reported in Belgian tourists returning from travel to Turkey. The tour group had traveled around west Turkey on a 14-day package tour. Group members were aged between 58 and 68 years. They used a private bus, and at the end of their trip, they took an internal flight from Ankara to Istanbul. During the journey they stayed at different hotels and visited Istanbul, Bursa, Efeze, Affrodisias, Pamukkale, Kusadasi, Antalya, Cappadocia, Ilhara and Ankara. They ate in several small restaurants and also ate food bought at markets and shops.


21.10.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza (Human - suspected) Yesterday (20 Oct 2005) it was reported from Indonesia that a father and son, and a baby, had been admitted to a Jakarta Hospital on suspicion of having contracted avian influenza virus infection. (The baby is not related to the father and son). It was suggested in addition that this "cluster" might be indicative of human-to-human transmission of avian H5N1 influenza virus. Laboratory testing in Jakarta has not confirmed the initial clinical diagnosis and at present these cases are not ranked as avian influenza cases. Therefore the number of confirmed human cases of avian influenza in Indonesia is unchanged from 5, including 3 deaths. Further laboratory tests will be undertaken at the WHO-designated reference laboratory in Hong Kong to confirm the result of the local tests.


20.10.2005 Thailand - Avian Influenza (Human)
Thailand reported its 1st human bird-flu death this year [2005], and Indonesia officials warned of a possible case of human-to-human transmission, as concerns mount that the virus is surging through Asia and Europe. The death in Thailand is the country's 13th from the [H5N1 avian influenza virus], Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said today [Thu 20 Oct 2005]. In the new case in Thailand, the man's child has a fever and has been sent to Bangkok for tests, Thaksin said. The man, who died 19 Oct 2005, lived in Panuamthuan district of Kanchanaburi, 150 km (94 miles) west of Bangkok.


20.10.2005 Venezuela - Yellow Fever According to the latest news, there are now 3 states with reports of human cases of yellow fever in Venezuela (Apure, Bolivar, Portuguesa). The Director of Epidemiologic Surveillance of the Ministry of Health and Social Development, Manuel Garcia mentioned that there is an ongoing vaccination campaign in the states where there have been outbreaks as well as in neighboring jurisdictions. "We are also providing vaccinations to travellers who are going to visit these states."


20.10.2005 Russia - Hepatitis In total, 2039 cases of hepatitis A have been recorded in Nizhniy Novgorod since the commencement of the outbreak on 5 Sep 2005, including 319 children under 14 years of age. At present, 591 patients are in hospitals in the city of Nizhniy Novgorod. On tuesday [18 Oct 2005], 30 more persons, including 7 children, were admitted to the hospital on suspicion of hepatitis A virus infection. The territorial office of the Russian Health Protection Agency (Rospotrebnadzor) also announced on wednesday [19 Oct 2005] that 69 people had been discharged from the hospital. "Transmission of infection is now occurring by contact in the community; i.e. secondary contamination. But it is too early to speak about a 2nd wave of disease," Ravil Tamashin, the press-secretary of Rospotrebnadzor, stated.


20.10.2005 India - Japanese Encephalitis The official death toll from Japanese encephalitis in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has climbed to more than 1140. "6 more persons died of encephalitis overnight, taking the toll to 1142," said Dr. O P Singh, health services director general in Uttar Pradesh. "A majority of the dead are children," he told AFP in Lucknow, the state capital. More than 200 people remain in state-run hospitals with the mosquito-borne disease, and over 4800 encephalitis cases have been reported across Uttar Pradesh since mid-July 2005. But Singh said the worst was over for the impoverished state of 180 million people. "With the onset of winter, the virus responsible for the spread of encephalitis will die," he said on Wednesday [19 Oct 2005].


19.10.2005 Indonesia/NTT - Activity of Rokatenda On the island Paluweh (north-east of Maumere on Flores - Lesser Sunda Islands) the Paluweh-volcano (also known as Rokatenda) has increased signs of activity since last saturday [15.oct.2005]. Clouds of white stream have been emitting from the volcano and people living on its sloped have reported earthquakes. Residents have moved away from the volcano fearing an eruption.


19.10.2005 Russia - Anthrax A case of anthrax has been confirmed in the Gafurijskiy district of the Republic of Bashkortostan. A 74-year-old inhabitant of the village of Kovardy was hospitalized with this diagnosis in the local hospital. The management of Veterinary Science of Bashkortostan reported on Tuesday [18 Oct 2005] that the source of her infection was the meat of a cow which the woman had bought in the market.


18.10.2005 Venezuela - Yellow Fever Health Authorities confirmed the death of a 14 year old due to yellow fever in this area and non-official sources claim that there are 2 more cases in the area. The Regional Institute of Health of Apure announced that the death occurred in a resident of Arichuna in the municipality of San Fernando.
Evelin Faneite, physician in the Directorate of Epidemiology of Insalud, assured that there have not been additional cases reported up through the present. According to Faneite, a report of a single case there is important. The disease can be transmitted by the same mosquito as dengue fever, and the dengue fever has been prevalent this year in the st
te (Apure has reported 1705 cases of dengue with one death since the beginning of 2005). In response to this, there will be free vaccinations available in the State in all health facilities, with collaboration of the Family Foundation (Fumbaifa), an institute which has a sentinel post in it's quarters.


18.10.2005 Romania - Avian Influenza A 2nd Romanian outbreak of avian influenza H5N1 has been reported to the OIE. It is located in Maliuc County, 60 km from the 1st one reported in Ceamurlia-de-Josle. "With regard to Turkey, more information is currently being requested from the Turkish authorities concerning a 2nd possible outbreak at the border with Iran", the OIE wrote.


17.10.2005 Greece - Avian Influenza (suspected) 3 dead birds found in Evros, northeastern Greece, were sent for tests at the Thessaloniki Veterinary Laboratory. 2 of the birds were found in Orestiada and one in Soufli. According to state-run television as quoted by Sky News, tests for the deadly H5N1 strain of the flu are pending. Officials have feared the spread of the disease is likely because it also sits on one of the busiest migratory routes from Europe to Africa. "Our operation is in full swing," Agriculture Minister Evangelos Basiakos has earlier told reporters. "We have over 1000 vets and employees on duty at the moment. There should not be any panic. Our labs are working, the system is working."


17.10.2005 Senegal - Yellow Fever Health authorities launched an emergency yellow fever immunization drive in one of the most underdeveloped regions of Senegal, after officials confirmed the virus had claimed one life, raising fears of more deaths to follow. The confirmation of a single case of yellow fever in Tambacounda last month [September 2005], some 500 km east of the capital Dakar, is officially an epidemic according to World Health Organization (WHO) classifications.


16.10.2005 Russia - Meningitis According to the Sverdlovsk Regional Office of the Russian Health Protection Agency, the number of people in the Sverdlovsk region suffering from serous meningitis at the present time has reached 48. Residents of Sverdlovsk have been admitted to hospital suffering from meningitis over a period of 6 weeks.


15.10.2005 Dominican Republik - Malaria A French tourist developed falciparum malaria after travelling to the Bavaro area (province of La Altagracia, in the east of the Dominican Republic) in August and September 2005. This case shows that there still is a very small risk of _Plasmodium falciparum_ malaria in La Altagracia.


14.10.2005 Nigeria - Cholera The Maradun local government of Zamfara State has dispatched health officials to Faru village following a reported outbreak of cholera in the area. The council chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, who was reacting to rumors that the disease had so far claimed 50 lives, said the team would ascertain the veracity of such claim, and check the spread of the disease.


13.10.2005 Eurasia - Avian Influenza
The Commission is taking further action following the confirmation last night of the presence of avian influenza H5 virus in Romania and the results from the EU laboratory this morning indicating that the avian influenza virus in Turkey is H5N1 closely related to a virus detected in a wild bird in central Asia a few months ago. The measures will be discussed at an emergency meeting of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health in Brussels this afternoon. The Commission is adopting today a decision to ban imports of live birds, poultry meat, and other poultry products from Romania following new tests by EU experts, which identified the presence of avian influenza. Imports of live birds and feathers from Turkey have been banned since Monday following the finding of avian influenza there.

Further actions decided by EU Health and Consumer Protection
Commissioner Markos Kyprianou are:
- a Commission framework decision on preventive measures and increased biosecurity (hygiene), which will be presented at today's Committee meeting. Member states will take appropriate measures to reduce the risk of transmission of avian influenza. This should include strengthening biosecurity in poultry farms across the EU and in particular in high risk areas.
- an emergency meeting of experts on avian influenza and migratory birds will be held tomorrow. The purpose of the meeting is to evaluate the risk that migratory birds may pose for the EU. The experts' group will then issue recommendations on the potential risk for humans in contact with such birds.

The offer of EU and member state experts to assist Romania, Turkey, and other countries which are concerned about suspected cases of avian influenza.
Commission and ECDC advice on precautions to be taken by people travelling to Romania and Turkey and other countries where avian influenza has been found.
In retrospect, the severe precautionary measures, taken by Turkey and Romania since the initial suspicion of an H5 presence there was raised, seem justified.


13.10.2005 Eurasia - Avian Influenza The EU-Commission is taking further action following the confirmation last night of the presence of avian influenza H5 virus in Romania and the results from the EU laboratory this morning indicating that the avian influenza virus in Turkey is H5N1 closely related to a virus detected in a wild bird in central Asia a few months ago. The measures will be discussed at an emergency meeting of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health in Brussels this afternoon.


12.10.2005 Kyrgyzstan - Anthrax 9 people have been hospitalized in south western Kyrgyzstan due to an anthrax outbreak, the Kyrgyz Health Ministry said on Monday.
Quarantine has been declared in the Bazarkorgoon district in the Jalal Abad region, where people have been admitted to the local hospital since 26 Sep 2005 with symptoms of anthrax infection. Dairy, meat, and cattle markets have been temporarily closed.
Local veterinary specialists said the disease was spread when people ate the meat of infected animals. Meat slaughterers have also been infected.


11.10.2005 Russia - Hepatitis A Since the beginning of the epidemic of hepatitis A in the Nizhniy Novgorod region the total number of people affected has risen to 1729, a figure which includes 360 children. 20 people, including one child, have been hospitalised in the past 24 hours, according to the Regional Center for Civil Defense and Extreme Situations. During the same period 8 people have been discharged from hospitals in the region. According to the Regnum News Agency by Mon 10 Oct 2005 a total of 560 people suffering from hepatitis A had been admitted to hospitals in the city of Nizhniy Novgorod itself.


11.10.2005 India - Japanese Enzephalitis Japanese encephalitis claimed 15 more lives in northern India, as a health official on Sunday expressed surprise that the recent outbreak -- which had appeared to be fading -- was spreading again. The outbreak has killed 1038 people, mostly children, in the impoverished northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, according to government figures. About 300 deaths have also been reported in neighboring Nepal. The disease is easily preventable by vaccinations, but many medical facilities in the area are underfunded and understaffed. "Cases are now being reported from newer areas," said O. P. Singh, Uttar Pradesh director general of health services. Reported cases of the mosquitoborne illness had been dropping with the end of the rainy season -- when there was no more water for mosquitoes to breed in -- and officials had thought it was coming under control.


11.10.2005 South Africa - Crimean Congo Fever Health officials are monitoring 151 people for symptoms ofthe deadly Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever [CCHF], whichclaimed the life of an unnamed farm labourer at GrooteSchuur hospital on Monday [10 Oct 2005]. Confident thedisease will not spread, officials on Monday discharged 7 people, including the dead man's wife and son, from the Riversdale hospital.
The 46 year old farm labourer from Riversdale died of multiple organ failure on Monday. "The patient passed away in hospital. He had multiple organ failure," said Western Cape health minister Pierre Uys at a media briefing at Groote Schuur. Uys said the farm worker had been in contact with people in Slangriver, Riversdale, George and Groote Schuur. "This is the only case at this moment in time that we do have. We did notify the national Department of Health, so they're fully aware of what's happening," said Uys.


10.10.2005 Asia - Dengue At least 127 000 people have been infected by dengue so far in 2005 along an arc that stretches from eastern India through the Indonesian archipelago, with at least 990 deaths, the health authorities say. Warning of a dengue epidemic, Malaysia recently joined Singapore in declaring emergency measures to combat a surge in cases that has killed at least 70 people. While those 2 countries are experiencing record infections, the worst-affected has been populous Indonesia, with more than 48 000 cases and more than 600 deaths.


09.10.2005 Philippines - Cholera/Diarrhea The Department of Health regional office declared a diarrhea outbreak in the entire Catanduanes province, with 457 cases and 14 deaths reported from 2 Aug to 3 Oct 2005. 16 persons have also died due to diarrhea in Caramoan, Camarines Sur. The regional DOH also reported a cholera outbreak in the towns of San Andres in Catanduanes and Caramoan in Camarines Sur.


08.10.2005 Turkey - Avian Influenza (suspected) About 2000 turkeys have died from avian flu in western Turkey, CNN Turk reported on Saturday [8 Oct 2005], in the 1st known case among domestic birds in this country since the recent outbreak of the disease in Asia. "Yesterday, unfortunately, we experienced a case of bird flu. But everything is under control, every precautionary measure has been taken to prevent it spreading," the television channel quoted Farm Minister Mehdi Eker as saying.


07.10.2005 Romania - Avian Influenza H5N1 (suspected) Romania reported its 1st case of avian flu in domestic birds in the Danube delta on Friday [7 Oct 2005], but did not say whether the virus was fatal to humans. "We discovered today 3 cases of domestic birds which tested positive for the avian flu in the village of Ceamurlia de Jos in the Danube delta," Agriculture Minister Gheorghe Flutur told reporters. "They were 3 ducks in the yard of a peasant family." Flutur would not comment whether the flu was the deadly H5N1 strain but said: "We will send the samples to Great Britain for a thorough analysis." The minister said he imposed quarantine for 3 kilometres (2 miles) around the site and all domestic birds would be culled to prevent the disease from spreading in the environmentally sensitive delta, Europe's largest wetlands.


07.10.2005 Venezuela - Brucellosis The epidemiological center of Venezuela notified for the week 11.-19. Sep 2005 1 confirmed case of human brucellosis from the community of Giradot, from the State of Apure they notified 40 probable cases of human brucellosis from the following communities: San Fernando (31), Biruaca (5), and Guarico (4) and in the State of Lara they notified 14 probable human brucellosis cases from the community of Pala Vecino.


06.10.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza (Human) Indonesian health officials said today [on Thu 6 Oct 2005] that 2 young men, including one who died a week ago, had proved positive for avian influenza virus in local tests. I Nyoman Kandun, Head of disease control at the Health Ministry, said specimens had been sent to a Hong Kong laboratory recognised by the World Health Organisation for further testing. Results should be available in the next few days. Indonesian health officials suspect avian influenza [to be the cause of] 6 deaths since July 2005 in the world's 4th-most-populous nation, [whereas the WHO-designated reference laboratory in] Hong Kong has confirmed only 4 cases. "The PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) showed positive for both (men)," said Kandun. "One is a 21-year-old man ... he is still alive and in a stable condition. The other one had died. Both are proven to have had direct contact with dead poultry."


05.10.2005 Japan (exUSA)- West Nil Fever A Japanese man in his 30s has been infected with West Nile fever, the 1st confirmed case of the disease in Japan, health ministry officials said Monday. It is suspected that the man, a resident of Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, was infected with the disease in the United States, where he was from late August to early September 2005, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare officials said. The man, who stayed in Los Angeles from 28 Aug to 4 Sep 2005, has said that he was bitten by a mosquito, according to the officials.


04.10.2005 Russia - Hepatitis A According to the Department of Public Health of the Nizhniy Novgorod region, as of Mon 3 Oct 2005, the number of cases of hepatitis A has risen to 1438 [an increase of 404 since 29 Sep 2005. The number of children who have fallen ill since the beginning of outbreak on 5 Sep 2005 now exceeds 200. A total of 23 new cases of hepatitis A has been reported yesterday [3 Oct 2005]. However, on the previous day, only 12 new cases of hepatitis A were recorded, which is 3 times less than a week ago.
The Nizhniy Novgorod city administration and medical services are continuing to undertake preventative measures to contain the outbreak of hepatitis A infection. During the past week [final week September 2005], 600 shops in all 8 districts of the city have been closed. In addition, about 64 000 people have received hepatitis A vaccination.


03.10.2005 India - Japanese Encephalitis With 8 more people succumbing to Japanese encephalitis in northern Indian state Uttar Pradesh, the death toll from the brain-infecting illness in the state mounted to 950 on Friday. The eastern region of the state, where the disease had taken an epidemic proportion, has witnessed 793 deaths, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. 8 people died of encephalitis, and as many as 29 patients were admitted Friday to a medical college and 7 other hospitals of the region, PTI quoted Uttar Pradesh additional director (health), C B M Tripathi as saying. According to Triptahi, a total of 3393 patients have been admitted to the medical college and hospitals of adjacent districts since the outbreak of the disease in August this year.


02.10.2005 Philippines - Cholera The Philippine government Sat, 1 Oct 2005, confirmed an outbreak of cholera in the province of Catanduanes in the Bicol region, central Philippines. Eric Tayag, director of the Department of Health National Epidemiology Center, said in an interview with local television network ANC that 5 people have been killed in a total of 180 cholera cases in Catanduanes. The health department had earlier confirmed a similar outbreak in the neighboring province of Camarines Sur. The number of people killed or affected by the epidemic there is still unknown.


01.10.2005 Indonesia - Explosions on Bali On the Indonesian island of Bali there have been a number of casualties following a series of simultaneous explosions at popular beach resorts. Hospital officials have confirmed at least 25 deaths and said at least 35 foreign tourists injured in the blasts had been taken to hospital. The first of at least three explosions occurred at 1200 GMT in the Jimbaran area of Bali in front of beachside coffee shops, according to police. Minutes later another blast also took place in front of coffee shops at the Matahari Square shopping center in the popular beach resort area of Kuta.
mediScon denounce the contemptible attacks on Bali and we extend our deepest condolences to the victims and families of this bombing blasts in Jimbaran and Kuta.


01.10.2005 Indonesia - Poliomyelitis 11 new poliovirus cases were confirmed yesterday [30.09.2005] from Banten, Lampung and Central Java provinces. This brings the total number of poliovirus cases to 251.
Lampung and Central Java provinces were not included in 2 emergency vaccination campaigns held on 31 May and 28 Jun [2005]. The 1st round of the National Immunization Days (NIDs) was held on 30 Aug [2005]; the 2nd round was conducted on 27 Sep [2005], targeting each time 24.4 million children less than 5 years of age throughout the country.
Prior to this outbreak (caused by an importation of type 1 wild poliovirus), Indonesia had not had a wild poliovirus case since 1995.

30.09.2005 Russia - Hepatitis A The outbreak of hepatitis A in Nizhniy Novgorod has not been contained yet. Since Tue 20 Sep 2005 the number of cases of hepatitis A infection has increased from 822 (including 150 teens and children) to 1034 (including 211 children). As frequently the case in Russia, inadequacy of the public water and sewerage systems appears to be responsible for outbreaks of hepatitis A and other enteric infections. Nizhniy Novgorod (in the Soviet period, known as Gorky) is the 3rd largest city in Russia.


29.09.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza H5N1 In the past 24 hours, the number of suspected cases of avian influenza in Indonesia has increased from 42 to 57 in one report, or 54 in the other report. The total number of deaths attributed to avian H5N1 influenza virus infection remains unchanged at 6, a total which includes a patient whose samples gave conflicting results and whose status remains unresolved. 3 of 20 suspected avian influenza virus cases have tested negative and are about to be discharged. It is not certain that these 20 suspected cases are new cases or are included in the suspected total, but the difference of 3 between the 2 reports could be accounted for by subtraction of these 3 negative-test patients. The results of confirmatory tests in the WHO-accredited laboratory in Hong Kong are awaited to provide an accurate assessment of the current disease situation in Indonesia.


28.09.2005 Martinique Island - Dengue An epidemic of dengue fever has killed 2 people in the French Caribbean island of Martinique this month, and more than 6000 have been infected, medical authorities said Monday. Since mid-September 2005, the rate of new cases has increased to almost 1000 a week, said Jacques Rosine, a doctor at the Antilles-Guyane Inter-Regional Epidemiology Center in Martinique. "The epidemic is not calming down. It is gaining ground," he said.


28.09.2005 Singapore - Dengue The death toll from Singapore's worst dengue fever outbreak on record has risen to 11 with total cases in 2005 now approaching 11 000, the health ministry said. A total of 714 new cases were reported in the week ending 24 Sep 2005, on top of 10 200 cumulative cases previously reported, local media said.


28.09.2005 Venezuela - Dengue During 11. and 17.09.2005, 1282 dengue fever cases were diagnosed and 72 of them were dengue hemorrhagic fever. In this week there have been no deaths caused by dengue.


27.09.2005 India - Japanese Encephalitis The toll due to Japanese Encephalitis rose to 914 in Uttar Pradesh, with 11 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, while fresh cases continued to pour in even 2 months after the 1st case was reported at Gorakhpur. As many as 38 fresh cases were reported during the last 24 hours.


26.09.2005 Indonesia - Avian influenza H5N1 Today a 27-year old woman died of avian influenza in Jakarta. Officials said the H5N1 virus was confirmed. There are 42 reported human cases of avian influenza across Indonesia, but only 10 patients have tested positive, Minister of Health Siti Fadillah Supari said today. 6 of the 10 people infected with bird flu have died recently, the minister said. Supari said bird flu cases have been reported from at least 8 provinces in the country, with Jakarta having the highest case number of 28. Health Minister Siti Fadila Supari said 200 000 tablets of the anti-viral drug oseltamivir, known commercially as Tamiflu, would be available Tuesday and another 200 000 tablets by Friday. Supari said that the medicine (enough to treat 40 000 people at 10 tablets per person) showed that the government had things "under control."


24.09.2005 Indonesia - Avian influenza H5N1 The number of Indonesians under observation for bird flu symptoms has risen to 17, health officials said on Friday, but added that local tests confirmed a 5 year old girl who died this week did not have the virus. 4 Indonesians are confirmed to have died from the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu since July.


24.09.2005 China (Fujian) - Cholera A total of 172 cholera cases have been found since Aug 2005 in East China's Fujian Province, the highest number in recent years. So far, there have been no deaths since the 1st case was found on 12 Aug 2005 in Fuzhou, capital of the province.


24.09.2005 Guinea-Bissau - Cholera A cholera epidemic in Guinea-Bissau is showing no sign of fading, with all regions of the impoverished country now affected and more than 4 000 new cases of the disease reported so far in Sep 2005, officials said.
In a bulletin issued late Tue, 20 Sep 2005, the health ministry said 15 573 cases of cholera had now been recorded, up from 11 192 at the beginning of the Sep 2005. Some 270 people have died since the epidemic first struck the former Portuguese colony in mid-Jun 2005.


23.09.2005 Burkina Faso - Yellow Fever WHO has received reports of an outbreak of yellow fever in Batie, Gaoua, and Banfora districts in Burkina Faso in the south east of the country, near the border with Cote d'Ivoire. 4 cases including 1 death have been laboratory-confirmed by Centre Muraz, Burkina Faso and by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Yellow Fever, the Institut Pasteur, Dakar, Senegal. The fatal case, a boy 4 years old, came from Bouna region in Cote d'Ivoire.
A team from the Ministry of Health and WHO in Burkina Faso and a team from the Ministry of Health, WHO and UNICEF in Cote d'Ivoire quickly investigated the outbreak in this cross-border area characterized by increased population movements. A mass vaccination campaign is being prepared in both countries to protect the population at risk and to prevent the spread of the disease to densely populated urban settings.


22.09.2005 India - Japanese Encephalitis The death toll from an outbreak of Japanese encephalitis (JE) passed 1000 in northern India and neighboring Nepal, as health officials in the 2 countries prayed for an end to monsoon rains spreading the mosquitoborne disease.
India's worst-hit state of Uttar Pradesh overnight reported 16 more encephalitis deaths, taking the toll to 781 since the end of July 2005, when the monsoon season was at its peak, officials said in the provincial capital. This year's [2005] JE epidemic has hit Uttar Pradesh of India and all of Nepal especially hard, with a death toll of over 1000 since the season started 2 months ago. The obvious diminishing of the monsoon season seems to coincide with decreasing numbers of JE cases. By the end of September 2005, JE will hopefully start to leave this area.


22.09.2005 South Africa - Typhus Mpho Gabashane, Mpumalanaga health department spokesperson, said (on 21.09.05), 26 more cases of typhoid have been reported in Delmas in the last 24 hours. Gabashane says 10 people have been discharged, while 65 are still hospitalized. Health promotion activities continued in Delmas as authorities waited for the results of tests that might determine the source of the disease that has claimed 4 lives and made more than 500 people ill.


21.09.2005 Russia - Hepatitis A As of Tue 20 Sep 2005, 822 people, including 150 children and teenagers, have been treated in hospital on suspicion of hepatitis A virus infection in Nizhniy Novgorod, according to the press service of the government of the Nizhniy Novgorod region. Another 30 people, including one child with this diagnosis, were admitted to hospitals in the city on 20 Sep 2005. The majority of the patients are from the Sormovskiy district of the city. The outbreak of hepatitis A in Nizhniy Novgorod was recorded first on 5 Sep 2005. In the opinion of physicians, a principal cause of the outbreak is delayed repair of the network of waterpipes in the Sormovskiy district of the city. Anti-epidemic measures are being carried out in the city. The outbreak of hepatitis A in Nizhniy Novgorod continues unabated. In the past week the number of hospitalised cases has risen from 356 to 852.


21.09.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza 6 Indonesian residents, including 4 children, have been admitted to a hospital with avian influenza symptoms, spreading fears of a major outbreak of the deadly disease in the world's fourth most populous nation. The 6 patients have been undergoing intensive treatment at the Sulianti Saroso Hospital, which is a specialized hospital for infectious diseases in North Jakarta, according to a local Detikcom online report on Tue 20 Sep 2005. The latest patient is a 3 year old child who suffered from high fever and respiratory problem. An employee with the Jakarta-based Ragunan Zoo, where several wild fowl have been infected by avian influenza, is also being treated at the hospital.


20.09.2005 Malaysia - Dengue After 4 months of battling to control dengue, Malaysia is back on high alert, as the number of cases soared last week (3rd week September 2005). With the disease claiming 68 lives as of 10 Sep 2005, the health authorities are concerned that there may be more casualties. Their worries are growing, as 9540 people in Singapore were reported to be down with the disease as of 12 Sep 2005, surpassing the previous record of 9459 last year 2004. An action plan has been activated in Johor to cope with a possible increase in dengue cases following the outbreak in the neighboring republic. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has billed dengue as "the most important mosquito-borne viral disease affecting humans, ahead of malaria and encephalitis, with an estimated 2.5 billion people at risk worldwide."


19.09.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza 2 children have been admitted to hospital in Indonesia with suspected avian influenza, the health minister said on Mon 19 Sep 2005. "Until now, 3 children are being treated in a hospital. 2 are suspected of having the symptoms of bird flu based on the lab tests. The other one is still under observation," minister Siti Fadilah Sapari told the local El Shinta radio. Indonesia sends blood tests from all suspected bird flu cases to Hong Kong for confirmation.


18.09.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza
Authorities closed the Jakarta zoo after 19 birds there were found to be carrying the deadly avian influenza virus, officials said. Agriculture Minister Anton Apriantono said that Jakarta's Ragunan zoo will be closed to the public through October 17, during which a complete sterilization of the area and treatment of infected animals will be completed.


17.09.2005 Nigeria - Cholera No fewer than 10 persons have been reported dead following a fresh outbreak of cholera in the Chikila district of Guyuk Local Government Area of Adamawa State. This has brought the death toll in the state to 28 within a month. In Aug 2005, the cholera epidemic ravaged 3 local government areas of the state, where no fewer than 18 persons were confirmed dead.


16.09.2005 Indonesia - Avian Influenza The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has today confirmed a fatal case of human infection with H5N1 avian influenza. The case occurred in a 37-year-old woman who resided in Jakarta. She developed symptoms on 31 August, was hospitalized on 3 September, and died on 10 September. The positive test results were received from a WHO reference laboratory in Hong Kong. The government has launched investigations, assisted by WHO, aimed at identifying the source of the woman's infection and tracing her close contacts, including family members, neighbours, and hospital staff engaged in her treatment. The woman lived in an area with multiple opportunities for exposure to chickens and ducks. No recent poultry deaths have been reported in the area. Poultry samples have been taken by agriculture authorities as part of the ongoing investigation.


16.09.2005 Russia - Hepatitis The number of persons suffering hepatitis A virus infection continues to increase in Nizhniy Novgorod. According to all available information, 356 persons have been hospitalized with hepatitis A in several hospitals throughout the city, stated Eugeny Petrov, the Chief Health Officer of the Nizhniy Novgorod Oblast on Wednesday 14 Sep 2005. The majority of the new cases live in the Sormovskiy district of the city; however, 18 persons are residents of the Moscow district of the city. According to health-care officials, a total of 196 cases of a hepatitis A has been recorded in the Sormovskiy district of Nizhniy Novgorod, including 31 children under 14 years old. Hepatitis A patients have bee admitted to 3 infectious disease hospitals (No. 2, No. 14 and No. 23) in the city, and a further 830 beds will be made available for hepatitis A patients. The 1st hepatitis A cases were diagnosed on 6 Sep 2005, and by Tuesday 13 Sep 2005 the Chief Health Officer reported that 40-50 cases of hepatitis A were being registered weekly in Nizhniy Novgorod.


15.09.2005 Russia - Anthrax 2 inhabitants of the village of Chermen of the Prigorodniy district have been taken to the Infectious Diseases Department of the clinical hospital of the city of Vladikavkaz, the capital of Severnaya Osetia. The patients have been hospitalized with cutaneous anthrax. These cases were found in Northern Osetia several days ago, Taymuraz Butaev, the chief health officer for the republic, stated. 3 inhabitants of the Samuhskiy district of Azerbaijan have fallen ill with anthrax. Emergency measures for the prevention of the spread of this dangerous illness have been carried out. The beef market in Gandzha has been closed for 2 weeks. Sanitary control over the sale of meat in the city has been expanded, which shut down the illegal sale of meat. There have been no cases of anthrax among the inhabitants of Gandzha due to timely measures taken. The trade of meat and dairy products in the region has decreased. Local residents refuse to buy them, being afraid of catching anthrax.


14.09.2005 Somalia - Poliomyelitis One case of poliomyelitis has been reported in Mogadishu, Somalia where a 15-month-old girl had onset of paralysis on 12 Jul 2005. Genetic sequencing is ongoing to determine the origin of the virus. Somalia had been polio-free since 2002.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (spearheaded by the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and UNICEF) launched an ambitious new series of polio immunization campaigns to prevent the re-establishment of the disease in the Horn of Africa. The plan will see large-scale series of immunization campaigns coordinated across 8 countries: Somalia, Ethiopia, Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, and parts of Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo between September and November 2005. The campaigns will reach more than 34 million children with multiple doses of polio vaccine and rapidly boost population immunity in the Horn of Africa. The rapid and large-scale response is largely possible due to a USD 25-million grant provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and support by other donors including the Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission (ECHO).


13.09.2005 Southafrica - Typhus An outbreak of typhoid fever has been reported in Delmas, Mpumalanga. Increases in diarrheal disease cases were noted on routine surveillance from 15 Aug 2005. This prompted an investigation by the Provincial Communicable Disease Directorate. Preliminary water testing revealed evidence of fecal contamination of drinking water. Within 2-3 weeks of this outbreak of diarrheal disease, cases began presenting with typical features of typhoid fever. To date, at least 15 cases of typhoid fever have been laboratory-confirmed on blood culture and 3