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20.08.2008 Hong Kong/exThailand - Dengue A 19-year-old man had travelled to Thailand from 31 July to 4 August 2008. He developed symptoms of Dengue Fever on 4 August and after his return to Hong Kong he was admitted to Hospital on 9 August. He was discharged on 12 August. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


19.08.2008 Vietnam - Cholera In Vietnam, 19 cases of acute diarrhoea were reported in Thanh Hoa Province. Out of which, 13 cases were confirmed to be Cholera. Outbreaks of acute diarrhoea were also reported in the northern areas again and the areas affected included Hanoi, Nam Dinh and Hai Duong. In Hai Duong, 287 people were hospitalized because of acute diarrhea so far this year. Out of which, 124 cases were confirmed to be Cholera.


18.08.2008 Japan/exCote d'Ivoire - Dengue An imported dengue case from Cote d'Ivoire was diagnosed on 26 Jun 2008 in Japan. The patient was a 65-year-old man who stayed in Abidjan from 19 May 2008 to 17 Jun 2008. He arrived in Japan on 19 Jun 2008 and was hospitalized for 8 days because of high fever, myalgia, thrombocytopenia and hemorrhagic tendency. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


17.08.2008 Singapore - Chikungunya (Update) Yesterday, Singapore reported 9 new cases of mosquito-borne chikungunya fever, bringing to 117 the total number of such cases this year. Nearly 50% of these cases were imported and had a history of travel to countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. The 9 new cases of chikungunya fever were locally-transmitted ones, as none of them traveled overseas recently.


16.08.2008 USA/exEurope - Measles On Long Island (New York state), a 13-year-old girl from Babylon became ill with measles, setting off a health alert in Suffolk County. The girl apparently visited the Bay Shore shopping mall on 29 Jul 2008. Non-immune people could develop the disease for up to 18 days after contact with the teen (i.e. through 16 Aug 2008). Health officials say she likely caught measles while traveling through Europe. Symptoms include ear aches, runny nose, fever, and a tell-tale rash. There is also a 1:1000 risk of encephalitis, which can be fatal or leave severe sequelae on recovery. The 13-year-old patient was presumably unvaccinated and at risk of infection during travel outside the United States. Currently, measles outbreaks are occurring sporadically throughout Europe, and measles has recently become endemic again in the United Kingdom 14 years after local transmission had been halted by vaccination.


15.08.2008 Hong Kong/exMalaysia - Leptospirosis A Hong Kong Traveller contracted Leptospirosis in Malaysia. The 28-year-old man was diagnosed Leptospirosis after returning to Hong Kong from a short trip to Sabah, Malaysia in from late June to early July this year. Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease. Human infections usually occur through contact with urine excreted by infected mammals primarily through skin abrasions, open wounds or mucous membranes, and occasionally through ingestion or inhalation. Overseas outbreaks of leptospirosis are usually related to occupational or recreational exposures, such as water contaminated with urine of infected animals.


14.08.2008 Cote d'Ivoire - Yellow Fever In Cote d'Ivoire, an outbreak of Yellow Fever affecting 9 people was reported in the capital Abidjan. Out of which, 5 cases were laboratory-confirmed.


13.08.2008 Singapore - Chikungunya Fever In Singapore, an outbreak of Chikungunya Fever affecting 28 people was reported in Kranji Way since 2 August. Preliminary investigations indicate that the cluster is due to local transmission. As of 8 August, the country has recorded a total of 95 cases of Chikungunya Fever in 2008, 49 were infected locally and 46 cases overseas.


12.08.2008 Thailand - Dengue The Rayong provincial administration announced that the province is a dengue disaster zone after 1,397 people were infected and 2 of them were killed by dengue this year. Rayong deputy governor Siripong Hantrakul said declaring a disaster zone allowed the provincial administration to spend its emergency fund of Bt 50 million (USD 1 484 340) to fight the dengue spread. According to the dengue surveillance data from the Ministry of Public Health website dated 5 Aug 2008, the total number of reported cases of dengue infections in Thailand is 43,911 cases with 46 deaths nationwide. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


11.08.2008 Philippines - Cholera A total of 18 people have died as a result of a cholera outbreak in 2 tribal communities in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat. The victims were residents of the hamlets of Sagpaw and Biao in Barangay Milbuk, which are Manobo communities. The 1st victims of the cholera outbreak were initially reported by the villagers in the first week of this month, when several people started complaining of diarrhea. The 2 hamlets are located several kilometers away from the Milbuk village proper. Residents have to walk down from their mountain location to reach the village health center.


10.08.2008 India - Chikungunya More than 50 chikungunya cases have been reported from Moilottu in Kilpadi village limits, near Mulky, over the past few days, triggering panic among residents in the region.


09.08.2008 Canada - Mumps A total of 10 cases of mumps have been confirmed, primarily in Norwich Township (Oxford County, Ontario). Public health officials have scheduled immunization clinics for monday up to wednesday (11-13 Aug 2008) following an outbreak of mumps in Oxford County. Mumps is a viral illness with symptoms that include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and swelling and pain in salivary glands. Some children may also experience cold symptoms. Complications from mumps can be serious, including encephalitis, meningitis, arthritis or deafness. One in 3 men may develop painful swollen testicles that, in rare cases, result in infertility. Pregnant women with mumps are also at an increased risk for miscarriage during their 1st trimester. Every year there are on average about 20 cases of mumps in Ontario. Other provinces with current outbreaks of mumps include British Columbia and Alberta.


08.08.2008 India - Cholera In India, an outbreak of Cholera affecting 27 people was reported in Haryana. In Delhi, about 70 cases of Cholera were reported.


07.08.2008 Micronesia (Guam/Chuuk) – Travel restrictions A reported outbreak of hepatitis A in Chuuk (Micronesia) prompted the Guam health committee to introduce a bill that would implement entry restrictions on individuals coming to Guam from affected islands. Bill 351 mandates that travelers who have been in an affected jurisdiction for more than one week who wish to enter the island will have to obtain a clean bill of health from a certified and recognized medical provider within a week of their arrival on Guam.
Under the bill, individuals from the affected jurisdictions who try to enter Guam without proper medical clearance will be quarantined, and the resulting costs accrued from the quarantine and/or treatment will be the responsibility of both the traveler and the airline carrier that transported that individual. The hepatitis A outbreak is believed to be caused by heavy rains that resulted in the overflow of raw sewage and incomplete municipal water treatment. The cases peaked in June 2008 and have since declined. Current information as to the safety of drinking water on Chuuk was not available. A vaccination for hepatitis A is available and would be appropriate for those planning on an extended stay in Chuuk and who have not been previously vaccinated, public health officials said. The reports about the hepatitis A outbreak in Chuuk came over a week after the local health agency disclosed the tuberculosis epidemic in the same island, where 4 patients died of the disease.
Hepatitis A is a preventable virus infection, and travelers to the Pacific Islands should ensure that they have been vaccinated to avoid infection and facilitate free access.


06.08.2008 Malaysia - Malaria In Sarawak of Malaysia, an outbreak of Malaria affecting 21 people was reported in Bario Highlands.


05.08.2008 Netherlands - Measles In the Netherlands, an outbreak of Measles affecting 34 people was reported in the Hague.


04.08.2008 Indonesia - Avian Influenza (Human) Yesterday, a health ministry official in Indonesia said, a 19-year-old Indonesian man died from bird flu, bringing the total death toll from the virus in Indonesia to 112. Tests confirmed the man was infected with the H5N1 strain of avian influenza when he died in a hospital in Tangerang, west of Jakarta. Indonesia has the highest toll of any nation. Although bird flu remains an animal disease, experts fear the H5N1 virus might mutate into a form easily passed from human to human, sparking a pandemic in which case millions could die.


03.08.2008 China - Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease In China, 4,141 cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease including 3 deaths were reported in Jilin province between 1 May and 23 July this year.


02.08.2008 Russia - Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever In Russia, 53 cases of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever have been reported in Rostov Oblast since March this year.


01.08.2008 Indonesia (West Papua) - Cholera At least 172 villagers have died in a cholera outbreak in Indonesia's remote eastern Papua. Church aid workers in the Kamuu valley (West Papua) confirmed the victims had died from severe diarrhea and vomiting caused by cholera. The source of the outbreak, which began in April 2008, was still unknown, but the disease appeared to be spreading via drinking water from a river and products in markets in the highland region.

31.07.2008 India - Japanese Encephalitis In India, 372 cases of acute encephalitis syndrome with 88 deaths were reported in Basti and Gorakhpur division so far this year. Among these, 6 deaths were confirmed to be caused by Japanese Encephalitis. Encephalitis is commonly known as brain fever. Japanese encephalitis virus causes the disease and the virus is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes.


30.07.2008 Russia - Anthrax (Human) In Russia, an outbreak of Anthrax affecting 13 people was reported in Buryatia. Eight cases were laboratory-confirmed cases.


29.07.2008 Malaysia - Chikungunya (Update) The Chikungunya virus, which is believed to have infected people in the Kampung Rasau (in Slim River, Perak), has spread to other nearby villages, officials said. The virus has spread to nearby villages such as Ulu Slim, Slim Village, Bandar Baru Slim River, Kuala Slim, Kampung Bantang, and Trolak. Health officials already advised the people to get rid of mosquito-breeding grounds in the area. An outbreak of chikungunya virus disease has now moved further northward in the Malay Peninsula. Previously, a suspected outbreak of chikungunya virus infection was reported in Johor State, Malaysia. This outbreak is in the southern part of Perak State, 100 km (62 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur.


28.07.2008 Brazil - Dengue Since the beginning of this year, the State Public Health Department recorded 37,147 suspected cases of dengue in all municipalities of Rio Grande do Norte. The Epidemiology Department of the municipal Secretariat of Health in Campos reported a new total of confirmed cases of dengue infections in Campos. The new statistics shows that since the beginning of the year 2008, 13,283 people in Campos were infected by Chikungunya, half of them were infected just in the month of April. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


27.07.2008 South Africa - Crimean Congo Fever A farmer and professional hunter from Adelaide in the Eastern Cape died in the first week of july after having been diagnosed with Crimea-Congo haemorrhagic fever, the health department in Adeleide said. The man was admitted to hospital on 12 Jul 2008. The viral disease is transmitted to humans by ticks or contact with blood or tissue from infected animals, and is potentially fatal. The man was reportedly bitten by a tick on 3 Jul 2008, and went to see a doctor 4 days later. Then, 3 days after that he developed a range of typical fever symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and joint pains. The fever is the most common of a range of haemorrhagic fevers that occurs in South Africa. According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, anything between 5 and 25 cases are reported each year, most of them in the Karoo, the Western Free State, the Northern Cape and North West province. Most of the sufferers are farmers, farm labourers, hunters or abattoir workers. Symptoms include fever, aching muscles, dizziness, neck pain and stiffness, headache, sore eyes, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, nose bleeding, and other non-normal bleeding. According to the World Health Organisation, one in 3 sufferers dies from the disease. There is no safe and effective vaccine widely available for human use.


26.07.2008 Ukraine - Diphtheria A total of 7 cases of diphtheria and 8 carriers of toxigenic strains have been registered in Donetsk this year. The epidemic situation is especially bad in the city of Makeevka, where 5 cases of diphtheria and 5 carriers have been registered. One of the patients, a 5-year-old child, died from diphtheria in this city. A risk of diphtheria infection remains in all countries of the former Soviet Union. mediScon advises that to minimize the risk for diphtheria, all travellers should be up-to-date for diphtheria vaccination, regardless of whether they plan international travel, and travelers to areas with endemic diphtheria or outbreaks should consult their medical providers to ensure they are adequately vaccinated. Countries which have reported diphtheria in recent years include Tanzania, Nigeria and some other parts of Africa, Afghanistan, Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Belarus, Ukraine, the 5 Central Asian Republics (Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan), the Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia), India, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, and Paraguay.


25.07.2008 Argentina – Rabies (Human) Last tuesday, an 8-year-old boy from Jujuy province was confirmed to be infected with rabies. He died before. The boy was bitten by a dog last April. For the past 2 years, Jujuy province in Argentina has had an outbreak rabies, which, in spite of an intensive mass vaccination of dogs campaign, has not been controlled yet. The boy lived in Punta Diamante neighborhood, an area inhabited by poor people, located in the junction of the Grande and Chico rivers, in the provincial capital. Jujuy is a province in northeastern Argentina, near the borders with Bolivia and Chile.


24.07.2008 Italy - Measles A Measles outbreak was reported in Italy with 2,079 cases registered between September 2007 and May 2008. Nearly half of the cases were reported in Piemonte Region.


23.07.2008 Indonesia - Avian Influenza (Human) An Indonesian cargo worker died of bird flu, relatives confirmed last Thursday, raising the unofficial toll in Indonesia to 111. The government recently started delaying announcements about bird flu fatalities, sometimes by several weeks. But health workers speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed the tests came back positive. The 38-year-old father from a town near Jakarta died in hospital on July 10th, days after he came down with symptoms of the disease, including high fever, coughing and breathing difficulties. A doctor told his family he died of bird flu and the tests came back positive from Jakarta. The WHO has reported 110 bird flu human deaths from H5N1 in Indonesia since 2005.


22.07.2008 Vietnam - Dengue The central province of Quang Nam is suffering a dengue fever outbreak, with more than 250 afflicted patients being treated at a local hospital, the health department of Que Son District announced last week. Local authorities said sick individuals who contracted the disease but haven't checked into a hospital may number in the hundreds. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


21.07.2008 Australia/exIndonesia – Dengue Since the beginning of May 2008, 4 travellers from Bali have had dengue confirmed soon after arrival in north Queensland, Australia. All 4 were probably viraemic whilst in north Queensland, and all 4 were confirmed as having dengue serotype 3. This indicates that dengue 3 is currently circulating in destinations frequented by travellers/tourists in Bali. The only other importations into north Queensland from Bali this year were 2 travellers with confirmed serotype 4 dengue in March 2008. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


20.07.2008 Yemen – Dengue Last week, officials confirmed that 4 individuals infected with dengue fever died within a week in Raymah and Hodeidah governorates. Of the victims, 3, a mother and daughter and another woman, were from Raymah governorate, while the 4th victim was a 4-year-old girl from Hodeidah governorate. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


19.07.2008 Indonesia (Bali) - Chikungunya The mosquito borne Chikungunya virus has infected between 10 and 20 residents in RT 02, Banjar Yeh Sumbul, Yeh Sumbul, Mendoyo over the past 2 weeks. Most residents claimed that they did not know the cause and regarded it only as a normal fever. Symptoms occurred in residents in several households. Affected individuals reported fever and pain, especially of the hands and feet, characteristic of chikungunya virus infection. A Chikungunya virus outbreak has been reported in Java and Sulawesi, Indonesia, earlier this year in may. Now there is a newly-recognized focus with this current report from Bali. Since Bali is a major tourist destination, if the outbreak intensifies, it could have a negative impact on tourism.


18.07.2008 USA - Measles In the USA, an outbreak of Measles was reported in the country with 15 states affected so far. Most of the victims were not vaccinated against the virus.


17.07.2008 Kyrgyzstan - Anthrax As of July 14th 2008, 9 confirmed cases of anthrax and 34 people have been hospitalised with suspected cases in Kyrgyzstan. All of the cases are the cutaneous (skin) form and they were registered in southern Kyrgyzstan, in Jalal-Abad and Osh provinces.


16.07.2008 Madagascar - Rift Valley Fever Since January, RVF has been reported in both animals and humans in more than 20 out of 119 districts of Madagascar, primarily in the north, south, and central highlands. By the end of June, Madagascar's Ministry of Health had reported a total of 520 human-suspected cases related to RVF, including 20 deaths. Laboratory tests have confirmed 84 human cases so far. Transmitted by mosquitoes, RVF is a disease that affects both livestock (including sheep, goats, cattle, and camels) and humans, but is usually well established in animal populations by the time the 1st human cases are observed. Humans become infected through mosquito bites or direct contact with infected material and liquids such as animal blood during slaughtering, while the uncooked milk of infected animals can also pose a risk. No cases of human-to-human transmission have ever been reported. While some infected people experience no detectable symptoms, others develop flu-like fever, muscle pain, headaches, joint pain, vomiting, loss of appetite, and sensitivity to light. In more severe cases patients can also experience lesions in their eyes, neurological problems, liver impairment, and haemorrhagic fever symptoms including widespread bleeding.


15.07.2008 Mongolia - HFMD Since 8 May 2008 a serious outbreak of hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) due to enterovirus 71 (EV71) has affected thousands of children and families throughout Mongolia. As of 7 Jul 2008, a total of 2618 people have been diagnosed with this virus. 83 per cent of the reported enteroviral diseases occurred in children who were younger than 10 years and 10 per cent of those infected were younger than one year. 24.5 per cent of all those diagnosed with enterovirus 71 had complications that required hospitalizations. Several patients had severe complications such as aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, myocarditis, and poliomyelitis-like paralysis, which may lead to disability or even death. It is known that pulmonary edema or haemorrhage, which is a common complication, can kill a child within one day, therefore health workers all over the country have been working around-the-clock providing intensive care to patients in critical condition. Largely owing credit to these efforts, no casualties have been reported to date. As of 7 Jul 2008, 162 individuals remain hospitalized and 599 people have been discharged from hospitals.
According to the Ministry of Health of Mongolia this is the largest spread of enterovirus recorded so far in Mongolia and since the 1st case in 8 May 2008, it has affected 90 per cent of all territories within Mongolia. Next to Ulaanbaatar, the most affected areas are in the Eastern region (Sukhbaatar, Khentii, Dornod provinces), the Orkhon-Selenge region (Selenge province), the Gobi or Southern region (Dornogobi province), and the Khangai region (Uvurhangai province). As Naadam, Mongolia's most popular festival (comprising outdoor events such as equestrianism, wrestling, archery, et alia) approaches, the authorities fear that it may bring another spike in the epidemic of HFMD, and are thus conducting activities to increase the communities' outbreak control and preparedness. While schools and kindergartens resumed their normal operations in most places, the youth summer camps have been suspended until mid-July 2008.


14.07.2008 Brazil - Dengue 32,510 dengue cases have been confirmed in Ceara. According to the weekly bulletin of the state Secretariat of Health, 401 DHF cases have been confirmed with 12 deaths, 8 of which were in Fortaleza, and 412 cases of dengue with complications, with 5 deaths. Ceara has now recorded 35,510 cases of classical dengue fever this year.
Dengue has now killed 512 people in the state of Rio de Janeiro just in 2008, as of Tuesday 8 July 2008. This number was confirmed by the state Secretariat of Health. According to the official total, there have been 209,310 cases of the disease throughout the state. In addition, 129 deaths are under investigation. According to the state Secretariat of Health, 54 per cent of the reported dengue cases are concentrated in the 15-49 year age group. Of the 152 confirmed deaths, 44 were due to DHF. The Rio de Janeiro municipality had the greatest number of deaths, with 87 cases. The capital cit] also had the greatest total number of dengue cases, numbering 109,614. The other municipalities with high numbers of dengue cases reported include: Angra dos Reis (11,203 cases); Campos (9,740); Nova Iguacu (16,593); Duque de Caxias (9,224); Sao Joao de Meriti (4,141); Niteroi (6,826); Mage (3,284); Belford Roxo (6,060) and Sao Goncalo (2,515). Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


13.07.2008 Vietnam - Dengue The number of dengue fever patients has been increasingly reported in Mekong Delta areas and Ho Chi Minh City. More than 20,000 cases and 20 deaths of dengue fever have been reported in 28 localities of Viet Nam in 2008. 2,256 cases and 6 deaths of dengue fever have been reported in Ca Mau province, including 1,050 cases and 4 deaths from Tran Van Thoi district, 350 cases and 2 deaths from U Minh district, and 177 cases from Ca Mau city. Other recent reported cases of dengue fever include more than 1,400 cases and one death from Tien Giang province, more than 1,900 cases from Soc Trang province, more than 3,800 cases from Ho Chi Minh City, and between 300 and 700 cases in each of the Mekong Delta provinces of Dong Thap, Bac Lieu, Kien Giang, and Ben Tre. In a newswire on dengue fever in Viet Nam previously reported, there had been 3,754 cases and 2 deaths reported from Ho Chi Minh City, 1,717 cases and one death in Soc Trang, 1,489 cases and one death in Tien Giang, 1,123 cases and 3 deaths in Ca Mau, and nearly 100 cases in Hanoi. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


12.07.2008 Turkey - Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever A woman from the central Anatolian province of Cankiri who contracted Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) died in a hospital in Ankara on Thursday 10 Jul 2008. The woman from Cankiri's Orta district, was bitten by a tick and hospitalized at Cankiri State Hospital. As her condition worsened, she was transferred to Ankara Numune Hospital last Sunday 6 Jul 2008. Doctors diagnosed her symptoms to have been caused by CCHF virus carried by ticks. She was subsequently moved to Diskapi Research Hospital for treatment, where she died despite medical efforts to save her. She was buried in her hometown of Kalfat in Orta. The CCHF death toll in Turkey was reported to be 37 on Mon 7 Jul 2008. The death of this woman presumably raises the death toll to 38.


11.07.2008 Netherlands/exUganda - Marburg Virus A Marburg virus infection has been confirmed in a 41-year-old female patient, after a trip to Uganda. The woman was traveling between 5 and 28 Jun 2008 and visited a cave in Fort Portal on 16 Jun 2008. In this cave no bats were seen. She was exposed to bats, reportedly "fruit eating bats" during the visit to the "python cave," in the Maramagambo Forest (between Queen Elisabeth Park and Kabale), on 19 Jun 2008. This cave is thought to harbour bat species that on other locations in Sub-Saharan Africa have been found to be carrying filoviruses. The patient's partner recalls bats flying all around in the cave, large amounts of droppings on the ground, and bats bumping into the visitors. No signs or symptoms have been reported so far by other members of this party. The patient returned to the Netherlands on 28 Jun 2008 in normal health. The 1st symptoms (fever, chills) occurred later on 2 Jul 2008 followed by hospital admission on 5 Jul 2008. The patient died on 11 Jul 2008. Tests were carried out and Marburg virus has been identified. Contact tracing has been put in place and temperature monitoring has been initiated for unprotected and protected contacts with possible exposure starting on 2 Jul 2008. Authoritative advice will be issued to the Dutch tour operators with respect to avoiding any visits to those caves until further information is available. No citizens of other European countries have been involved in this particular trip, but, the cave in the Maramagambo Forest is known to be a tourist attraction. No further measures were issued with respect to the flight passengers, as the flight took place 4 days before the onset of symptoms.


10.07.2008 Pakistan - Cholera In Pakistan, 16 confirmed cases of Cholera were reported in Punjab Province.


09.07.2008 Vietnam - Anthrax The Health Center in Ha Giang Province said, some 420 people have been infected with anthrax, with 2 fatal cases, after eating anthrax-infected beef at the end of June 2008. Tthe infected people belonged to nearly 90 families in Po Qua Hamlet of Meo Vac District. On 21 Jun 2008, 2 families in Po Qua Hamlet shared beef with the affected families from their 2 cows, which died of unknown causes. Those eating the meat started vomiting, complained of stomachache and suffered from swollen legs. Two died on 29 Jun 2008 after being hospitalized in a coma. Three others in critical condition are undergoing treatment at Meo Vac Hospital. Local health authorities said anthrax has broken out in the district and they are mobilizing resources to contain the disease. The number of affected animals is not known.
Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by Bacillus anthracis. Wild and domestic lower vertebrates such as cattle, sheep, goats, camels, antelopes, and other herbivores are the most commonly infected, while it can also occur in human if exposed to infected animals or their products.
Anthrax infection includes the 3 forms of cutaneous, inhalation and intestinal.
Cutaneous anthrax infections, which comprise about 95 percent of infections, can occur when the bacterial spore enters a cut or abrasion on the skin. The symptoms manifest progressively as a raised itchy bump, vesicle, a painless ulcer with a characteristic black central necrosis and edema or swelling of the surrounding tissues. About 20 percent of untreated cases of cutaneous anthrax will result in death.
Inhalational anthrax infection begins with symptoms that resemble a common cold. Later, it progresses to severe breathing problems and shock. It is usually fatal in 45 percent of cases, even with aggressive antibiotics and supportive therapy.
Intestinal anthrax can be transmitted by the consumption of contaminated meat. Its symptoms include nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, and fever followed by abdominal pain, vomiting of blood, severe diarrhea, lesions and soreness in the throat, difficulty swallowing, marked swelling of the neck and regional lymph glands. Intestinal anthrax results in death in 25 percent to 60 percent of cases.
Anthrax vaccines are available for both animals and humans. As preventive measures, humans should avoid contact with livestock and animal products and avoid eating meat that has not been properly slaughtered and cooked.


08.07.2008 Indonesia - Dengue In Jakarta Timur(East), 46 of 65 districts were designated "red" for cases of dengue fever. Duren Sawit was still in 1st place in the number of the dengue fever sufferers with 1,610 cases, followed by Cakung with 1,358 cases, Jatinegara (765 cases), Pulogadung (748 cases), Kramatjati (651 cases), Matraman (490 cases), Makasar (437 cases), Ciracas (366 cases), Cipayung (364 cases), Pasar Rebo (237 cases) and others. The total of dengue sufferers in Jakarta East at this time reached 7,026 cases. In Jakarta East there were also 18 "yellow" districts. Those that are in the yellow list, could become red this week. Nevertheless, there is still one district that has the "green" status, that is in Kel. Pondok Ranggon. To maintain that green status there must be continued vigilance so as not to have dengue cases in the territory. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


07.07.2008 Vietnam - Cholera In Vietnam, the Ministry of Health recorded 1 400 cases of acute diarrhoea including 170 cases positive for Cholera in May. Since the beginning of 2008, Vietnam has recorded nearly 500 Cholera cases.


06.07.2008 Kenya - Cholera In Kenya, an outbreak of Cholera was confirmed in the Kisumu municipality in the western region. A total of 134 cases had been reported with 13 confirmed cases. No death was registered. The new outbreak is attributed to the contaminated well water. At least 376 cases and 12 deaths were reported in the Kisumu East District.


05.07.2008 India - Chikungunya Fever At the end of June, about 50,000 suspected cases of Chikungunya Fever have been reported in Karnataka State. Chikungunya is a viral illness spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes. The disease resembles dengue fever and is characterized by severe, sometimes persistent, joint pain as well as fever and rash.


04.07.2008 Greece - Crimean Congo Fever Hospitals in northeastern Greece have been put on alert after a woman died of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). A Health Ministry statement says tests showed the Greek woman was infected with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) after being bitten by a tick when working in the fields. She died on 25 Jun 2008 in a hospital in the city of Alexandroupoli.The disease can only be transmitted among humans through contact with blood or other infected tissues. It is endemic in many countries in Africa, Europe and Asia; Turkey has a current outbreak. The mortality rate from the disease is approximately 30 percent.


03.07.2008 Indonesia - Cholera New reports in West Papua state that 85 people have died in a cholera outbreak over the past 3 months (April-June 2008) in the adjacent Nabire and Paniai regencies of West Papua. This cholera epidemic was first reported in Paniai in early April 2008 at Ekemanida village. It has spread to nearby villages at Kamuu and North Kamuu Districts. The villages where the disease was reported are Ekemanida, Idakotu, Dogimani/Idadagi, Makidimi/Egebutu, Ekimani/Nuwa, Denemani/Apagogi, Kimupugi, Dikiyouwo, Duntek, Boduda, Deiyai, Goodide, Idakebo, Mogou, and Dogimani. In March and April 2006, in the highland regencies of Jayawijaya and Yahukimo, 178 and 33 indigenous West Papuans respectively died reportedly from cholera.


02.07.2008 South Africa - Rift Valley Fever
From January to June 2008, Rift Valley fever (RVF) affecting cattle, buffalo, and goats was confirmed in a number of localities in 4 provinces in South Africa -- Mpumalanga, North West, Gauteng, and Limpopo. To date there have been 18 laboratory confirmed human cases. All 18 persons had close and significant contact with infected animals or their tissues.


01.07.2008 Uganda - Hepatitis E In Kitgum District of Uganda, over 3,082 cases of Hepatitis E with 64 deaths have been reported since October last year.

30.06.2008 Laos - Dengue Fever In Laos, there are more than 200 Dengue Fever cases in Saravane Province and 73 cases in Sekong Province in 2008. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


29.06.2008 Nigeria - Poliomyelitis Northern Nigeria is currently affected by a new outbreak of wild poliovirus type 1, which has begun to spread internationally. Both Benin and Niger have reported one case of Poliomyelitis respectively. In 2008, a nine-fold increase in new cases in Nigeria caused by this serotype has been reported compared with the same period in 2007. This new outbreak has occurred because upwards of 20% of children remain unimmunized in key high-risk areas for polio in the north of the country.


28.06.2008 South Africa - Cholera In South Africa, 2 more cases of Cholera were confirmed in Barberton, bringing the total number of reported cases to 13. All the victims are believed to be illegal gold miners who drank contaminated underground water while digging for gold in abandoned mineshafts at the Sheba mine.


27.06.2008 Philippines - Leptospirosis The Department of Health noted the high incidence of leptospirosis cases in the Davao Region. Leptospirosis is a deadly disease caused by Leptospira bacterium that can reside in the kidneys of rodents and other animals. The DOH of Region XI (Davao Region) has warned the public to be careful, especially those in flooded areas, as urine of rodents are carried by waters. The bacterium could pass through open wounds in humans and is common during rainy seasons mostly in urban areas although there are also cases in rice farms where rats thrive.


26.06.2008 Philippines - Dengue Fever In the Philippines, 630 cases, including 5 deaths, were reported in Caloocan City. This is a 100% increase in Dengue Fever cases in the first 5 months of 2008, compared to the same period last year. An uncommon rise in Dengue Fever cases was also noted in Bago City with 56 cases, Silay City with 55, and Talisay City with 52 cases. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


25.06.2008 Maldives - Dengue Fever Maldives is experiencing an outbreak of Dengue Fever where 581 cases including 1 death was reported since January. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


24.06.2008 Brazil - Spotted Fever An outbreak of Rickettsial Spotted Fever had been seen in the city of Platina of Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Three people died of the disease. Rickettsial Spotted Fever may cause headache, muscle ache, lethargy and high fever. A spotted rash usually appears on the limbs and body. Patients can become very sick a few days later, some may have severe complications. The infection is caused by Rickettsia microorganism which can be found in ticks. The disease is transmitted through tick bites. Wearing long-sleeved clothing and using insect repellants may prevent tick bites.


23.06.2008 Vietnam - Dengue About 5,000 infections of dengue fever have registered in the southern provinces. The number is expected to rise in Tien Giang, Ca Mau and Bac Lieu, among others. The incidence of dengue so far in 2008 has doubled to 1000 cases over the same period last year. Tran Van Thoi, Nam Can and Tran Van Thoi General Hospitals in Ca Mau Province were operating past full capacity due to a surge of new patients. Tien Giang Province was also hit hard, with more than 1,000 cases in Go Cong Dong, Cai Lay and Cho Gao Districts and My Tho City. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


22.06.2008 Singapore - Chikungunya Fever The Ministry of Health of Singapore reported the 24th case of Chikungunya Fever of the country this year. The victim was a 37-year-old woman who had no recent travel history.


21.06.2008 Brazil - Yellow Fever (Update) In Brazil, as of 11 June, 2008, 45 confirmed cases of Yellow Fever have been reported, including 25 deaths.


20.06.2008 Indonesia - Avian Influenza (Human) Yesterday, the Ministry of Health of Indonesia has announced 2 new cases of human H5N1 avian influenza infection. The 1st is a 16-year-old female from South Jakarta, DKI Jakarta Province. She developed symptoms on 7 May 2008, was hospitalized on 12 May 2008 and died on 14 May 2008. Investigations into the source of her infection indicate exposure to sick and dead poultry. The 2nd case is a 34-year-old female from Tangerang District, Banten Province. She developed symptoms on 26 May 2008, and was hospitalized on 2 Jun 2008 and died on 3 Jun 2008. Investigations into the source of her infection are ongoing.
Of the 135 cases confirmed to date in Indonesia, 110 have been fatal.


19.06.2008 Indonesia - Dengue in Jakarta Last week, health officals in Jakarta said, during April there were at least 3.741 dengue cases in Jakarta and 3 of them died. In May, 4.774 cases were recorded in the city with 4 deaths, indicating an increase of 1.031 dengue cases in Jakarta. Up to June 11th, the number of dengue cases in the Jakarta area reached 1.164 for this month. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


18.06.2008 Argentina - Yellow Fever (Update) As of 20 May, 2008, 7 confirmed cases of Yellow Fever including 1 death have been reported in Argentina. All cases were reported in Misiones Province, where the first official human case of Yellow Fever for 2008 was reported on March 3, 2008.


17.06.2008 China - HFMD Today, the Shanghai Health Bureau confirmed the city's 1st pediatric death of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). A 2-year-old boy was sent to the Shanghai Public Health Clinic Center for treatment on the evening of 14 May 2008, where he was diagnosed as having HFMD. Emergency treatment failed and he died a few hours later, according to the bureau. The child, a native of north China's Henan Province, lived with his family in the Songjiang District of Shanghai. Shanghai reported 10.340 HFMD cases in the first 5 months of 2008. The Health Ministry reported earlier last week that there were more than 176.000 HFMD cases reported nationwide in May 2008. Good hygienic practices are the most important measures to prevent HFMD. Strict personal hygiene should be observed by frequent handwashing, covering mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and avoidance of close contact with HFMD patients. Moreover, the risk of infection can be lowered by good environmental hygiene. It includes cleaning of contaminated surfaces and soiled items, and maintaining good indoor ventilation. Children with HFMD should be excluded from schools or any group settings until fever has subsided and all the vesicular lesions have dried and crusted. This measure could help reduce the transmission of infection amongst children.


16.06.2008 Turkey - Crimean Congo Fever Two physicians and an assistant paramedic at the Diyarbakir Dicle University School of Medicine Research Hospital were quarantined on Sunday for probable contraction of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). The 3 were quarantined as a precaution after treating a CCHF patient who later died at the hospital. The disease can be transmitted through tick bites and direct contact with the blood or secretions of an infected person. The doctors were most likely infected by direct contact with the patient's blood when it splashed into their eyes as they tried to stop the patient's nose from bleeding, the Ankara hospital said. The doctors were already displaying symptoms of the disease. Last Friday, news reports said yet another patient had died of CCHF in the central Anatolian province of Yozgat. Since 1st observed in Turkey in 2002, 114 people have died of CCHF in the country, including 22 so far this year. The fever is particularly common in the central Anatolian and eastern Anatolian provinces, especially Tokat, Corum, Sivas, Amasya, Yozgat, Gumushane, Bayburt, Erzurum and Erzincan. Last year, 717 people were diagnosed with the disease, claiming 33 lives.
People who have come into contact with a tick should be monitored for 10 days following contact and seek professional medical care if symptoms of fever, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea present themselves.


15.06.2008 Canada - Mumps Health officials are reminding all children and adults to make sure their immunizations are up to date after an outbreak of 47 cases of mumps in the eastern Fraser Valley, most of them in Chilliwack (British Columbia). Last year, there were 11 cases in the area but none in 2003 and 2005, and the 2nd-largest outbreak of 34 cases dates back to 1997. The virus is spread through saliva and can be picked up by sharing a water bottle, glass or cigarette, or through coughing. About 90 per cent of the population is immunized, and anyone born after 1956 and likely after 1970 has a natural immunity to it because of exposure to mumps as a child. Symptoms include fatigue, muscle aches and pains, and coughing. Those with the mumps are infectious generally for 9 days after the swelling begins and should stay at home, she said. It can cause swollen testicles or ovaries and lead to sterility and, in rare cases, cause inflammation of the brain.


14.06.2008 Worldwide - Poliomyelitis At present, there are 4 countries that are still endemic for wild poliovirus (WPV), these are India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria. As can be seen at the latest updates, there have been continued WPV cases identified in 2008, in previously polio-free areas in both Asia (Nepal 3 cases) and Africa (Benin 1, Chad 4, Niger 9, Central African Republic 1, Ethiopia 1, Dem Rep of the Congo 2, and Sudan 1). Of concern is that while there have been continued importations into some of these countries, in the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia/Sudan) there is evidence that there was probable undetected circulation of the WPV previously identified in.
It is also noteworthy that WPV 3 has been occurring in a number of the countries in 2008, these are India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Angola (imported from India), Nigeria, Chad, and Nepal.


13.06.2008 Turkey - Crimean Congo haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) A a man from northern Samsun province died last week (4 Jun 2008) at a hospital where he was being treated for CCHF. The man, who was living in the Armutlu village of Asarcik district, was sent to Ondokuz Mayis University Hospital after he was bitten by a tick while working in his garden. His death is the 17th fatal case of CCHF this year in four Turkish provinces, namely Samsun, Corum, Tokat and Amasya.


12.06.2008 Sri Lanka - Leptospirosis An outbreak of Leptospirosis affecting 10,000 people with nearly 500 deaths was reported in Sri Lanka. Matara district was seriously hit by the disease.


11.06.2008 Democratic Republic of Congo - Yellow Fever In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yellow Fever infection is sweeping through thousands of Congolese miners expelled from Angola. At least 10 people have died.


10.06.2008 Indonesia (Flores/NTT) - Dengue Dengue has affected Alok, East Alok, West Alok, Talibura, Lela, Koting, Kewapante, and Kaegae districts in Sikka regency on the Island of Flores, East Nusa Tenggara. At least 5 people have died and 58 are being treated at Maumere General Hospital. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


09.06.2008 Thailand - Dengue At least 14 000 people in Thailand have been diagnosed with dengue this year, most since April when the rains started early. Bangkok recorded the highest number of cases, with 1.966 cases of the disease. Rising temperatures, longer rainy seasons, and increased urbanisation are leading to an explosion of dengue fever cases. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


08.06.2008 Brazil - Yellow Fever Yesterday, the state Secretariat of Health confirmed 2 deaths of yellow fever in the state of Sao Paulo. No yellow fever cases have been registered in the state for 8 years.


07.06.2008 Indonesia (Sulawesi) - Eruption at Soputan Volcano Yesterday, Soputan volcano in the north of Sulawesi erupted. At 10 am (local time) yesterday, pyroclastic flows were recorded extending 4 km from the summit, and ash emissions reached 2 km above the volcano. During the rainy season, phreatic eruptions are possible from the hot lava dome. The closest inhabitants are 8 km from the peak. There is a camping ground 3-4 km from the summit which is in the danger zone. The alert status at Soputan volcano was increased to level 3 (out of maximum 4) on 6th June. A 6 km exclusion zone has been placed around the volcano. Climbing the volcano is not permitted, and the camping ground is closed. Residents should be alert for lahars in the rivers such as Ranowangko, Pentu, Lawian, and Popang.


07.06.2008 Singapore - Dengue Fever Until the end of May, Singapore recorded 2.087 Dengue Fever and 33 Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever cases this year. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


06.06.2008 Madagascar - Schistosomiasis In d'Amoron'i Mania region of Madagascar, 12.469 patients were treated for Schistosomiasis last year. The region with a population of 25.000 is an endemic area for the disease.


05.06.2008 India (Orissa) - Anthrax On Monday health officials said, 2 people and dozens of cattle have died of anthrax, while over 20 people have fallen ill in Orissa's tribal dominated Koraput district. The disease that usually affects cattle and spreads to humans if they eat contaminated meat has gripped the villages of Kandhasahi and Mantriput, about 700 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar.


04.06.2008 Yemen - Dengue The numbers of dengue fever cases had increased remarkably in some districts of the Shabwa province, southeast of the Yemeni capital, Sana'a. The number of people infected with dengue fever amounted to more than 1000. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


03.06.2008 USA (Illinois) - Measles The Illinois Department of Public Health has confirmed 7 cases of measles in DuPage County. Measles, which infects about 20 million worldwide every year, can be a severe illness that causes symptoms like rash, high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. In rare cases, patients face more serious complications, including pneumonia, encephalitis, and even seizure and death. Those who think they may be infected should contact their doctor. Authorities believe that none of the children who were found with measles received adequate vaccinations. Officials have long been stressing the importance of immunizing children against measles, mumps, and rubella, but many parents refuse to vaccinate their children for religious reasons or because they think the shots may cause autism or other health problems.


02.06.2008 Brazil - Dengue Fever In Brazil, a total of 155 985 Dengue Fever have been reported in Rio de Janeiro state with 110 deaths. Forty-two percent of the deaths occurred in children 0-15 years of age. As of 16 May, the state of Ceara had 17 384 confirmed cases this year, with 9 fatal cases. More than 70 percent of the cases were in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceara. Sao Paulo recorded 1 043 confirmed and 141 suspected cases of Dengue Fever. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


01.06.2008 Indonesia - Volcanic Activity at Dukono Volcano Dukono Volcano in Indonesia was upgraded to level 3 alert (out of maximum 4) on 30th May 2008. Volcanic explosion earthquakes increased from 32 per day to 280 per day between April and May 2008. On 25th May, ash emissions reached 800 m above the crater, and booming noises were heard coming from the summit. Ash emissions reached 1000 m above the summit on 29th May. Residents close to the volcano are warned to be alert for ashfall. A 3 km exclusion zone has been placed around the volcano.
Geologic Summary: The isolated volcano of Dukono at the northern end of Halmahera Island, is one of Indonesia's most active. He has a broad profile and is capped by many compound craters. Dukono has displayed more or less continuous explosive activity since 1933, occasionally accompanied by lava flows.

31.05.2008 India - Chikungunya Fever The estimated number of Chikungunya Fever cases in Karnataka, India, reached 4000, among these, 2100 cases were confirmed. The disease has already spread to Sullia, Puttur, Belthangady and Bantwal, with Sullia the worst affected.


30.05.2008 Philippines - Dengue The Department of Health in the Philippines recorded nearly 10,000 Dengue Fever cases from January to April this year. This was almost 30 percent higher than the number of cases during the same period last year. The disease caused 111 deaths. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


29.05.2008 Indonesia - Chikungunya Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have become a serious threat in Makmur City in Sulawesi. The number of chikungunya patients has increased. From January to May 2008, the number of chikungunya patients numbered 524. The increase in dengue and chikungunya was caused by the low level of awareness of the community regarding the control of mosquito breeding sites.


28.05.2008 Turkey - Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Turkey reported a fatal case of Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever. The victim was a woman who was thought to have been transmitted by a tick bite in the town of Sivas. More than 500 residents of Istanbul have flocked to hospitals for treatment in a scare.


27.05.2008 Laos - Dengue Health officials in Laos warning the public to make sure their homes and gardens are free of stagnant water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding, after the mosquito-borne dengue fever virus claimed 3 lives in the southern provinces of Champassak and Saravan this year. The National Centre for Laboratory and Epidemiology issued the warning in a bid to reduce the incidence of dengue fever in the wet season. So far this year, there have been 581 cases of dengue fever, including 3 deaths: 2 in Champassak and one in Saravan province. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


26.05.2008 Mongolia - Hand Food and Mouth Disease As of last week the number of infants and children infected with hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) virus in the outbreak has continued to increase dramatically, with the Health Ministry revealing that 1,000 cases have been reported. The 1st case was reported on Thu 8 May 2008, before quickly escalating. On 14 May, the number was at 491 child infections. All kindergartens, primary schools, and 4th and 5th grades have been closed because of HFMD (also known as enterovirus-71 EV71 disease). Good hygienic practices are the most important measures to prevent HFMD. Strict personal hygiene should be observed by frequent handwashing, covering mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and avoidance of close contact with HFMD patients. Moreover, the risk of infection can be lowered by good environmental hygiene. It includes cleaning of contaminated surfaces and soiled items, and maintaining good indoor ventilation. Children with HFMD should be excluded from schools or any group settings until fever has subsided and all the vesicular lesions have dried and crusted. This measure could help reduce the transmission of infection amongst children.


25.05.2008 Vietnam - Dengue The Health Department of Ho Chi Minh City reporded last week, that more than 3.000 children infected with dengue fever in Ho Chi Minh City. The Mekong Delta provinces have been hit hard by the disease too, with more than 10.000 cases having been reported so far this year. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


24.05.2008 Central African Republic - Yellow Fever As of Thu 15 May 2008, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of the Central African Republic has reported 2 laboratory confirmed cases of yellow fever from the Bozoum sub-prefecture, Ouham-Pende Prefecture. In response to the outbreak, the MoH plans to vaccinate the people in the sub-prefecture of Bozoum, starting on Monday 26 May 2008 for 3 days.


23.05.2008 Bangladesh - Avian Influenza (Human) Yesterday, Bangladesh reported its first confirmed H5N1 case in humans. The 16-month-old boy from a Dhaka slum was diagnosed with the H5N1 strain of the disease in January, but this was only confirmed by a US laboratory this week. He received treatment in a hospital and recovered. Bangladesh is the 15th country to report a human case of the H5N1-virus, according to the WHO.


23.05.2008 Peru - Dengue In den first four month of this year, a total of more than 5.000 cases of Dengue Fever were reported in Peru, of which 1126 were laboratory confirmed. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


22.05.2008 Mongolia - Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease Nearly 300 suspected cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease have been reported in 8 provinces of Mongolia, including the capital city Ulaanbaatar. Good hygienic practices are the most important measures to prevent HFMD. Strict personal hygiene should be observed by frequent handwashing, covering mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and avoidance of close contact with HFMD patients. Moreover, the risk of infection can be lowered by good environmental hygiene. It includes cleaning of contaminated surfaces and soiled items, and maintaining good indoor ventilation. Children with HFMD should be excluded from schools or any group settings until fever has subsided and all the vesicular lesions have dried and crusted. This measure could help reduce the transmission of infection amongst children.


21.05.2008 Hong Kong/exMaldives - Travellers contracted Dengue Fever The Centre for Health Protection in Hong Kong reported 2 confirmed cases of Dengue Fever who had visited Maldives between 5 and 13 April. Both of them required treatment in hospitals in Hong Kong and were discharged in late April. Three travel collaterals of them also had symptoms compatible with the disease.


20.05.2008 Indonesia - Avian Influenza (Human) Two teenagers from the same family died within 10 days because of suspected Avian Influenza in Jakarta, Indonesia. A 16-year-old girl died 4 days after admission. She was later confirmed to have infected with Avian Influenza virus. Her 15-year-old brother died ten days before her death. He had symptoms of high fever, cough and syncope. He died after a brief treatment in another hospital and no blood test was performed.


19.05.2008 Peru - Yellow Fever Since the beginning of 2008, there were 3 confirmed and 6 probable cases of Yellow Fever in Peru. All of the confirmed cases were fatal.


18.05.2008 Indonesia - Dengue Fever In Central Java of Indonesia, a total of 160 Dengue Fever cases including 7 deaths were reported during the first 3 months of this year. Two children died from the disease in April this year. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


17.05.2008 Macao SAR - Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease Health authorities of Macao reported 79 cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, 4 of them were confirmed Enterovirus 71 infections.


16.05.2008 Singapore - Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (Update) A total of 1 246 cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease was notified to Ministry of Health, Singapore in the week ending 10 May 2008. This brings the total number of notified cases in 2008 so far to 11,736. 18 cases required hospitalisation last week. There were no cases with serious complications.


15.05.2008 Canada - Measles In Toronto, a total of 9 Measles cases were reported so far this year. Among these, 4 new cases were reported in the past week. Previous, only about 3 cases were seen each year.


14.05.2008 Myanmar - Cholera Cholera has broken out in 2 areas of Myanmar’s Irrawaddy Delta where hundreds of thousands of cyclone victims are living with no fresh water or food.


13.05.2008 Indonesia - Dengue in Kalimantan Up to 28 Apr 2008, dengue has caused 41 fatalities in East Klimantan. Mostly, the patients died because they were handled too late,said Mr.Parmono Head of Sub Bidang Penanggulangan of Infectious Diseases in the Health Service of East Kalimantan. According to the data of the Health Service, sincethe beginning of 2008, 2,396 dengue patients have been reported in the region. Of this number, 41 people died. Balikpapan city was recorded as the area having the most dengue patients, with 865, 13 of whom died. This area was followed by Samarinda in 2nd place, with 743 patients and 10 deaths, and the Kutai Kartanegara region, with 231 patients and 8 deaths. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


12.05.2008 China - Major Earthquake Today at 6:28:04 AM UTC (about 02:28pm local time) an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 occurred in the very highly populated region of Sichuan in China. The earthquake happened 90km from Chengdu. The nearest populated places are: Sanjiangkou (20km), Ying-hsiu-wan (15km), Shapingguan (17km). The closest civilian airport is Chengdushuang Liu (83km).


11.05.2008 Chile - Activity continues at Chaitén Volcano Ash emissions continue at Chaitén volcano in Chile. There has been interruptions in electricity supplies in Futaleufu due to the accumulation of ash. Drinking water has been supplied by truck from Argentina. Medical assessments and preventative vaccinations are taking place for the affected population. Bulldozers are working to clear ash from roads. Evacuees at Puerto Montt have been supplied with blankets and matresses. Over the next few days predicted winds will blow ash towards Argentina. The alert level at Chaitén volcano remains at the highest rating.


10.05.2008 Madagascar - Rift Valley Fever The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) issued a warning because of Rift Valley Fever (RVF). This follows an acute outbreak of the viral disease on the Island of Madagascar, off the coastline of East Africa. The latest outbreak of RVF in Madagascar was 1st reported by Agriculture Ministry on 9 Apr 2008, following positive results of tests on 2 of 9 animals that were taken ill with symptoms associated with the disease around Avaradrano, Antananarivo, 2 months earlier. The Health Ministry in Madagascar had already reported 17 human deaths and 418 suspected infections as at mid April 2008 in areas around Alaotra, Mangoro, Analamanga, Itasy, Vakinakaratra and Anosy. The WHO has so far confirmed 59 cases of RVF in humans through laboratory tests.
RVF is an arthropod-borne viral disease of ruminants, camels and humans and may present itself in humans in an uncomplicated influenza-like illness to a hemorrhagic disease attacking the liver and showing in ocular or neurological lesions. Human infections have also resulted from the bites of infected mosquitoes, most commonly the Aedes mosquito whose infected eggs can survive through desiccation for months or years and restart transmission after flooding. Recommended preventive measures include, awareness campaigns, increased disease surveillance and controlled animal movement to prevent spread. Animal vaccination is also another strategy besides use of mosquito repellents and mosquito nets.


09.05.2008 Singapore/exIndonesia - Chikungunya Yesterday Singapore's Health Ministry confirmed the 17th case of the mosquito-borne chikungunya disease in Singapore since the beginning of 2008. The ministry revealed that the latest victim was a man, among the 4 new cases that caught the disease overseas recently. He believed he caught the virus while playing golf at Jakarta's Jagorawi Golf and Country Club a month ago. Since the 1st locally-transmitted case was detected on 14 Jan 2008, so far 13 people have been infected locally, while another 4 caught the virus overseas. Like the dengue virus, the chikungunya virus is spread by the Aedes mosquito. Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent chikungunya fever, which is characterized by fever, joint pains, chills and nausea. The best way to prevent chikungunya fever is to take precautionary measures to prevent mosquito breeding around the house and to protect oneself against mosquito bites.


08.05.2008 Chile - Activity at Chaitén Volcano Ash from Chaitén volcano in Chile has reached Buenos Aires in Argentina. Three airlines - Aerolinas Argentinas, Austral and Chile's LAN have canceled flights across the region. Eruptions continue at the volcano for the sixth day, with plumes reaching 33,000 ft altitude. An emergency zone of 50 km radius has been placed around the volcano.


08.05.2008 China - Enterovirus 71 (Update) As of 5 May 2008, 4,496 cases, including 22 deaths, of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) due to enterovirus 71 (EV71) have been reported among infants and young children in Fuyang City, Anhui Province, China. There are currently 1,391 cases receiving medical care in hospital, with no additional deaths for 5 consecutive days.
HFMD became a notifiable disease in China on 2 May 2008. Because of this change in reporting policy and the increased awareness of the general public about the disease, it is expected there will be an increase in the number of reported cases in the next weeks and months from Anhui province and the rest of China. There is no specific treatment for enterovirus infections and a vaccine is not currently available, a nation-wide health campaign is ongoing, stressing the need for personal hygiene, especially hand washing. HFMD is a common and usually mild childhood disease. EV71 is a frequent cause of HFMD epidemics associated with neurological disease in a small proportion of cases. There have been a number of outbreaks of EV71 HFMD in the Asia-Pacific region since 1997. Outbreaks have been reported in Malaysia (1997), Taiwan , China (1998), Australia (1999) and Singapore (2000) among other areas in the region.
mediScon and WHO advises against the application of any travel or trade restrictions relating to China while reinforcing the need for prevention through enhanced personal hygiene.


07.05.2008 Singapore - Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease [update] A total of 1465 cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease was notified to Ministry of Health, Singapore in the week ending 3 May 2008. This brings the total number of notified cases in 2008 so far to 10,490. 17 (1.2%) cases required hospitalisation last week. There were no cases with serious complications.


06.05.2008 Taiwan - Enterovirus 71 infection [update] In Taiwan, as of 6 May, there were 64 cases of severe enterovirus infection; among them, 62 were caused by Enterovirus 71. Majority of the cases have been discharged from the hospitals, 2 cases died of the disease.


05.05.2008 Indonesia (Java) - Chikungunya Chikungunya virus has infected a total of 473 people in Sukoharjo District (Surakarta), during the 1st 4 months of 2008. The chikungunya cases were found in 27 villages located in 9 subdistricts. Gatak Subdistrict has the largest number of cases with 37 chikungunya patients.


04.05.2008 India (Karnataka) - Chikungunya Medical investigations have revealed that 6 persons are suffering from chikungunya in Kadaba and surrounding areas. They suffer from high fever, body and joint aches and red patches all over the body and are under treatment in government and private hospitals. Medical officers and health assistants from primary health centres are treating those affected by chikungunya in 8 neighboring areas and other areas which come under the jurisdiction of Kadaba.


03.05.2008 UK - Hepatitis E on World Cruise Hundreds of holiday-makers are being tested for Hepatitis E after an outbreak on board P&O liner Aurora. Seven passengers contracted the virus during an 11-week world cruise which ended in Southampton on 28 Mar 2008. A further 600 on board have been sent a letter from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) requesting a blood sample. The HPA advises that the virus, which affects the liver, can be fatal but only in rare cases. P&O said it was cooperating fully with the inquiry. It is thought the passengers caught the virus through eating or drinking contaminated food.


02.05.2008 China - Enterovirus 71 infection [update] In the Mainland, a large outbreak of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease due to Enterovirus 71 has been affecting Fuyang city of Anhui Province. As of 1 May, a total of 3 321 cases including 22 deaths were reported. Apart from Anhui, some other provinces also experienced an increase in Hand Foot and Mouth Disease cases comparing with that last year. Guangdong Province reported 3 deaths due to the disease. Media also reported other affected regions including Zhejiang Province, Hubei Province, Jiangxi Province and Henan Province. Public health experts predict that the number of cases will continue to increase and will peak around June-July. A public awareness campaign is ongoing, stressing the need for good personal hygiene, mostly by hand washing.


01.05.2008 Sri Lanka - Chikungunya Fever In Sri Lanka, nearly 1 300 suspected cases of Chikungunya Fever were reported in Ratnapura District, Sabaragamuwa Province.

30.04.2008 Malaysia - Chikungunya A total of 16 people in Kampung Ulu Choh [Johor state] have been diagnosed with chikungunya. Women and Family Development, Welfare and Health state Committee chairman, Dr Robia Kosai, said the victims were infected by the viral fever 2 weeks ago. It was confirmed on April 24th 2008 that it was chikungunya.


29.04.2008 Argentina - Yellow Fever Argentina confirmed a new case of Yellow Fever in the region bordering Brazil, making a total of 6 cases, including one death, in the country. This case was a man from Misiones Province, who has been discharged from hospital and was recovering at home.


28.04.2008 China - Enterovirus 71 infection Since March this year, there were 789 children infected with Enterovirus 71 in Fuyang municipal of Anhui Province. Among them, 19 died of the disease and 204 were still receiving treatment in the hospital.


28.04.2008 Brazil - Dengue Fever [update] In Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, 12 317 cases of Dengue Fever were reported so far this year. It represents a 2-fold increase in the number of cases as compared with the same period last year. In Bahia, 12 607 cases of Dengue Fever were reported in the first quarter of this year. It represents an increase of 80 percent as compared with the same period last year. In Rio de Janeiro, 110 783 cases of Dengue Fever including 92 deaths were reported so far this year.


27.04.2008 Argentina - Yellow Fever Argentina confirmed a new case of Yellow Fever in the region bordering Brazil, making a total of 6 cases, including one death, in the country. This case was a man from Misiones Province, who has been discharged from hospital and was recovering at home.


26.04.2008 Singapore - Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease Today, there were 26 nurseries and preschool education centres in Singapore voluntarily closed for ten days because of the Hand, Foot and Mouth disease situation.


25.04.2008 Liberia - Yellow Fever [Update] The Ministry of Health, Liberia reported one additional confirmed case of Yellow Fever, who was a 30-year-old man from Nimba County.


24.04.2008 Taiwan - Enterovirus 71 infection In Taiwan, there were 86 suspected cases of severe Enterovirus Infection associated with EV71 so far this year. Among them, 39 were confirmed cases and 35 of them were children under year of 5.


23.04.2008 Asia - Cholera In Bangladesh, as of 21 April, there were more than 3 000 cases of diarrhea including 2 deaths reported in Barisal Province. The capital, Dhaka also had hundreds of diarrheal patients over the last week. In West Bengal, India, 2 people died of Cholera over the last 5 days; around 60 people were suffering from the disease. In Malaysia, there were 6 confirmed cases of Cholera in Labuan. All of them were admitted to hospital and were in stable condition. In Vietnam, from 5 March and 22 April, the Ministry of Health reported 2 490 non-fatal cases of acute watery diarrhea; 377 of them were confirmed to be Cholera. The majority of people infected by the disease were Hanoi residents.


22.04.2008 Bahamas - Malaria In Bahamas, one case of falciparum Malaria was reported in Great Exuma. Two outbreaks of Malaria were reported in the island in the past two years; one in May 2006 and another in August last year.


21.04.2008 Brazil - Dengue In Brazil, a surge in the number of Dengue Fever cases was noted in the northeastern region where heavy rainfalls hit the region for nearly one month. The states affected included Sergipe, Rio Grande do Norte, Alagoas, Bahia and Ceara.


20.04.2008 Southeast Asia - Dengue Up to 19 April this year, 10 901 cases of Dengue Fever including 12 deaths were reported in Thailand. In Malaysia, 3 742 cases of Dengue Fever were reported in Selangor in the first quarter of this year, the highest in the country, followed by the capital Kuala Lumpur with 1 119 cases and Perak with 1 084 cases.


19.04.2008 Singapore - Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease As of 19 April, Singapore Ministry of Health reported some 7 600 Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease cases, a 70% increase as compared with the same period last year. As of 26 April, there were 26 nurseries and preschool education centres in Singapore voluntarily closed for ten days because of the disease situation.


18.04.2008 Switzerland - Measles Switzerland has been affected by a Measles epidemic since November 2006. About 1,800 cases of Measles, predominantly among unvaccinated children, had been reported to the Federal Office of Public Health by mid-March 2008. The outbreak has spread to neighbouring European countries including Germany, Denmark, Austria, France and to the United States. Public health authorities in Europe planned to immunize unvaccinated children and recommended that any person visiting these countries should, if needed, obtain vaccination against Measles prior to travel.


17.04.2008 Europa - Measles From the 2nd week of March 2008, public health authorities of Salzburg observed an increased number of measles (see 05.04.2008 Austria - Measles). The current outbreak has affected, as of 14 Apr 2008, 202 people in Austria, 53 in Germany, and 4 in Norway, bringing the total number of cases related to this outbreak to 259. The initial case series investigation revealed that the common link was attendance at an anthroposophic school and day care centre in Salzburg city. The majority of the pupils were not vaccinated against measles. If you may have contracted measles, mediScon urges you to contact the health care facility or doctor's office before you visit your local health care facility, especially if a few days of fever has been experienced and a rash is developing. Otherwise, you may risk spreading the disease.


16.04.2008 Egypt - Avian Influenza (Human) The health ministry in Egypt has announced the 50th H5N1-infection in the Arab country. It is a 2-year-old boy from the Nile Delta province of Sharkia.


16.04.2008 Indonesia (NTT) - Volcanic Eruption at Mount Egon Volcano Yesterday, mount Egon on Flores island started to erupt and emitted ash up to 4.000 metres above the crater. About 600 people have been evacuated after the volcano began spewing ash. People in the area should take precautions not to inhale volcanic ash because of the effects on the respiritory system.


14.04.2008 Thailand - Dengue Thailand's Public Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsub warned the public to keep alert to the dengue fever. During the first three months of this year, 7.413 people infected with the disease with 9 fatalities in 8 provinces. The mimistry has instructed local health officials nationwide to maintain the campaign to eradicate the mosquito breeding habitats. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


13.04.2008 England (London) - Measles Infections with Measles continues to circulate in the greater London area. In Lewisham, a local authority area in south-east London, a total of 19 laboratory-confirmed and 63 probable measles cases have been reported between 1 Jan 2008 and 8 Apr 2008. This compares with provisional figures of fewer than 20 cases for the whole of 2007. There have been a number of outbreaks this year, including one in the local hospital, where 9 cases were linked to a child admitted to the paediatric ward. Cases are being seen in all age groups, although children younger than 5 years old are particularly affected, with 6 confirmed and 18 probable cases. There are ongoing outbreaks in 2 schools, reflected in the number of cases in 10-19 year olds, with 9 confirmed and 29 probable cases. There have been 4 probable cases in people older than 20 years.


12.04.2008 Egypt - Avian Influenza (Human) Egypt's health ministry has announced the death of a woman from the H5N1 strain of bird flu, the 22nd human death from the disease since it was discovered in the country in 2006. The 30-year old woman died yesterday. She first showed signs of infection on April 2nd and was taken on April 9th to a Cairo hospital. This is the 22nd death from bird flu from among 49 cases in the country since the disease was first discovered in Egypt.


11.04.2008 Japan/exIndonesia - Murine Typhus A 23 year old Japanese man who returned from Bali, Indonesia, was diagnosed and confirmed to have murine typhus on 10 Apr 2008. When he stayed on Bali from 20 Jan 2008 to 11 Mar 2008, he often went surfing at Madewi and Kuta beaches. He was admitted to hospital in Japan on 24 Mar 2008 (on the 7th day of illness). Fever, thrombocytopenia, and renal impairment were seen on admission. Rickettsiosis was suspected since erythematous rash appeared on his 8th day of illness. _Rickettsia typhi_ DNA was detected from his blood and skin specimen by PCR at the National Institute for Infectious Diseases (NIID), Japan. Furthermore, an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and immunoperoxidase assay (IP) for antibodies reactive with _R. typhi_ antigens showed raised levels of IgM and IgG. He was treated and completely recovered.
Surprisingly, another case of murine typhus was reported in Chiba, Japan, this April 2008. The NIID detected _R. typhi_ DNA from the patient's blood. Murine typhus is not believed to be endemic in Japan. Considering the incubation period of murine typhus, they contracted the disease abroad. Further investigation of the 2nd case is continuing. These 2 consecutive cases of imported murine typhus in Japan may be alarming that murine typhus might be endemic at some surf spots in Bali.


10.04.2008 South Africa - Paralytic shellfish poisoning The public have been advised not to collect or eat any shellfish, oysters and abalone on the West Coast of South Africa (north of Cape Point) until further notice from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. This comes after fisheries control inspectors found dead perlemoen caught up in shallow waters at Melkbosstrand, north of Cape Town, on Saturday (5 Apr 2008). The department is continuously monitoring the situation.
The first symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) are a tingling, stinging or burning sensation of the lips, tongue and fingertips within 30 minutes of eating poisonous shellfish. Numbness of the arms, legs and neck follows. If these symptoms are experienced, a doctor should be consulted immediately.


09.04.2008 Global - Cruise passengers contracted Hepatitis E Health Protection Agency of the United Kingdom reported 4 cases of Hepatitis E infection among male elderly passengers on a round-the-world cruise between 7 January and 28 March 2008. The dates of onset were between 12 and 23 March and it was thought that exposure occurred at some point during the cruise. The ports of call included Madeira, Barbados, Acapulco, San Francisco, Pago Pago (American Samoa), Nuku'Alofa (Tonga), Auckland, Sydney and Hong Kong.
Hepatitis E is one form of hepatitis caused by Hepatitis E virus. It has similar clinical course as Hepatitis A. The incubation period ranges from 15 to 64 days. Hepatitis E is primarily transmitted by food or water contaminated with Hepatitis E virus such as from infected person’s fecal material. Travellers should adopt good personal and food hygiene to prevent food-borne diseases.


08.04.2008 Indonesia (Halmahera Island) - Ibu Volcano There has been an increase in volcanic earthquakes and emissions at Ibu Volcano on Halmahera island. Ash emissions reached 150 m above the crater on 17th March, 300 m on 31st March, and 700 m on 5th April. Ibu volcano has been on level II alert since 1999, and the alert level may be increased if unrest continues. The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation has advised local residents to remain calm and not believe rumours about potential eruptions. Visitors and tourists are not permitted to climb Gunung Ibu. People in the area should take precautions not to inhale volcanic ash because of the effects on the respiritory system.
Geologic Summary: The truncated summit of Gunung Ibu stratovolcano along the NW coast of Halmahera Island has large nested summit craters. The inner crater, 1 km wide and 400 m deep, contained several small crater lakes through much of historical time. The outer crater, 1.2 km wide, is breached on the north side, creating a steep-walled valley. A large parasitic cone is located ENE of the summit. A smaller one to the WSW has fed a lava flow down the western flank. A group of maars is located below the northern and western flanks of the volcano. An eruption producing a lava dome that eventually covered much of the floor of the inner summit crater began in December 1998.


07.04.2008 New Caledonia - Leptosirosis Health authorities in New Caledonia are on high alert for leptospirosis, with up to 50 known cases to date. A fresh warning has been issued for the general public to be particularly cautious and not walk barefoot, since the diseases spreads through contact with muddy and inundated soils that could have been infected by animals such as pigs or rats. The main source of infection for leptospirosis is animal waste in still waters. Early symptoms for leptospirosis could be easily mistaken for those of a severe flu (fever, joint and back pains). In all cases, individuals should seek medical advice.


06.04.2008 Egypt - Avian Influenza (Human) A 19-year-old Egyptian man has died of the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus, bringing the number of fatalities in Egypt to 21, Health officials said yesterday. The man from the Nile Delta province of Beheira died last Friday in a hospital after falling ill following contact with infected birds. This is the country's 48th case of avian influenza since the appearance of Egypt's first human case in March 2006.


05.04.2008 Austria - Measles Up to now there have been about 180 cases of measles in Austria in and around the city of Salzburg. There have also been reports of measles outbreaks in Upper Austria. The Salzburg outbreak began in a school, where most of the parents were against any immunisation (a Waldorfschule). If you may have contracted measles, mediScon urges you to contact the health care facility or doctor's office before you visit your local health care facility, especially if a few days of fever has been experienced and a rash is developing. Otherwise, you may risk spreading the disease.


04.04.2008 Australia (Queensland) - Dengue Fever In Queensland of Australia, a total of 16 Dengue Fever cases were reported in Port Douglas and Mossman. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


03.04.2008 Indonesia - Dengue Fever On the Island of Java, an outbreak of Dengue Fever was reported in Yogyakarta. Up to the middle of March, 64 people were treated in a regional hospital. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


03.04.2008 Indonesia - Avian Influenza H5N1 (Human) A 22-month toddler in Indonesia's West Sumatra province has been tested positive of bird flu, health officials in Indonesia said yesterday. The toddler was among three patients at a hospital in the provincial capital of Padang who were being treated for allegedly developing bird flu symptoms. The two other patients are a 29-year-old woman and a 21-month baby girl. Indonesia has so far confirmed 133 bird flu cases in human with 107 deaths.


02.04.2008 Cayman Islands - Viral Conjunctivitis
The Public Health Department has issued an advisory notice to prevent the spread of an outbreak of "pink eye" disease in the Cayman Islands. Pink eye or viral conjunctivitis is a highly infectious disease caused by adenoviruses. It is endemic in the Cayman Islands and can flare up sporadically into an epidemic. Currently, the number of reported cases per week has increased significantly above the norm. Infection can be passed on by droplet exposure, such as through coughs and sneezes, and by direct contact with secretions such as tear fluid and mucus discharge. Usually a work colleague or a family member may have had a cough, cold, sore throat, or even diarrhoea and vomiting, as all of these may be caused by the same virus. Within 3 to 5 days of contact, one or both eyes of a newly infected individual may become red, sore and gritty. There may be a mucus discharge that makes the eyelids stick together in the morning. The eyelids may also become swollen. Typically the other eye becomes involved as well, but not always. Occasionally there may be a subconjunctival haemorrhage on the surface of the eye, which may appear suddenly, causing anxiety. It is completely harmless and will disappear over a few weeks. The younger the person the quicker the recovery. Children typically improve within 3 to 4 days, but adults can be unwell for up to 2 weeks. Usually the person is infectious for up to one week, so children should stay away from school and adults should stay away from work for one week. Personal items such as towels and toys should not be shared, as they can transmit the infection.


01.04.2008 USA (Arizona) - Measles A measles outbreak continues in Pima County with currently 9 confirmed cases of the disease in the area. Measles is a respiratory illness caused by the Measles virus. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes for a few days followed by rash. Complications from measles can range from an ear infection to encephalitis. If you may have contracted measles, mediScon urges you to contact the health care facility or doctor's office before you visit your local health care facility, especially if a few days of fever has been experienced and a rash is developing. Otherwise, you may risk spreading the disease.

31.03.2008 Indonesia - Avian Influenza (Human) Today, a health ministry official in Indonesia confirmed 2 more deaths due to an infection with bird flu. The two Indonesian youths taking the confirmed death toll in the country to 107. A 15-year-old boy from Subang, in West Java, died on Wednesday and an 11-year-old girl from Bekasi, east of Jakarta, who died on Friday also tested positive for the virus. Including the latest deaths, Indonesia has had 132 confirmed cases of the virus. Contact with sick fowl is the most common way of contracting the H5N1 virus, which is endemic in bird populations in most of Indonesia. According to United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) bird flu has infected 31 out of 33 provinces in Indonesia.


31.03.2008 Indonesia - Avian Influenza H5N1 (Human) A 22-month-old girl from Sumatra's Bukit Tinggi has tested positive for bird flu, a health ministry official said today. The girl fell sick on March 19 and she is being treated at a Padang hospital. The ministry is checking her neighbourhood for possible backyard farming. This is the country's 130th H5N1 case and Indonesia has had 105 human deaths from the bird flu virus.


30.03.2008 Moldova - Mumps An outbreak of mumps has been registered among local school children in Novokomissarovka village in the Dubosar district of Pridnestrovye. The school will be closed for a quarantine period. After the spring break, children will be allowed to return to school only after medical check-up by an infectious diseases specialist.


29.03.2008 France - Measles Between the end of January 2008 and 12 Mar 2008, 16 cases of measles were reported to the local health authority in Reims in eastern France. The outbreak has to date affected 9 adults and 7 children, aged from 7 months to 28 years.


28.09.2008 USA exVietnam/exCambodia - Japan. Encephalitis A 9-year-old boy was infected with Japanese encephalitis while visiting family in Southeast Asia. He is recovering at Children's Hospital in Seattle. The boy traveled with his father and siblings to Viet Nam and Cambodia in January 2008. He was bitten by a mosquito and infected with Japanese encephalitis (JE), a rare virus that's similar to West Nile virus. Two weeks after the bite, he lost his appetite and got a high fever. The boy lost his ability to speak, suffers from tremors and can't sit up on his own. Japanese encephalitis is transmitted by mosquitoes and can cause mild to severe infections marked by headache, high fever, neck stiffness, coma, tremors and occasional convulsions and paralysis. mediScon recommends vaccination for travelers who will spend more than a month in rural areas during the transmission season, which varies by region. The risk during the transmission season is one per 5000.


27.03.2008 Somalia - Cholera In Somalia, an outbreak of diarrhoeal disease affecting 516 people including at least 3 deaths was reported in Hiran.


26.03.2006 Mexico - Dengue Fever In Mexico, 1.380 cases of Dengue Fever were reported in the country so far this year. Out of which, 321 cases were Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


25.03.2008 Vietnam - Cholera In Vietnam, an outbreak of Cholera affecting 15 people was reported in Hanoi, Haiphong and Ha Tay. The victims had consumed raw vegetables before the onset of symptoms.


24.03.2008 USA (NM) - Rabies in fox population In the wake of recent rabid fox incidents in Grant County (NM), state officials are cautioning residents to take care when encountering foxes. They also are reminding pet and livestock owners to vaccinate their animals against the disease. Last week a 19-year-old woman was attacked and bitten by a fox near the Catwalk National Scenic Trail near Glenwood. She received post-exposure rabies treatment as a precaution. A day earlier a woman was walking her dog in Silver City when a sick-looking fox approached the dog and hissed at it. The fox was collected and tested positive for rabies. The dog had been vaccinated for rabies. The fox was the 2nd rabid fox confirmed in Silver City this month. There have been 4 foxes and one dog that have tested positive for rabies in Grant County so far this year. Grant County is located in southwestern New Mexico. Carlsbad Caverns are a big tourist attraction in the area. Visitors should take care not to approach foxes around there.


23.02.2008 Philippines - Typhoid Fever (Update) In the Philippines, there were so far nearly 2.000 reported cases of Typhoid Fever in Calamba City, Laguna Province. Another outbreak with 217 suspected cases and one confirmed death due to the disease was reported in Iloilo City of Iloilo Province.


22.03.2008 Thailand - Dengue From January 1st to March 8th 2008, a total of 5.837 dengue fever patients were recorded nationwide, 7 of whom died from the disease. During the 1st 10 weeks of this year, a total of 3.669 patients were registered in the central region, compared with 1.105 in the southern region. In previous years, more patients were recorded in the southern region. This is an increase of 77% compared to the same period last year. Therefore the Ministry of Public Health in Thailand has decided to launch a nationwide campaign to raise public awareness as well as to eradicate striped mosquitoes, which can transmit the dengue fever virus. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


21.03.2008 Namibia - Cholera In Namibia, an outbreak of Cholera which killed one people was reported in Ohangwena Region. 72 suspected cases were reported and 4 out of the 72 cases were confirmed as due to Cholera. The disease is most common in countries facing inadequate sanitation, overcrowding and lack of access to clean water. It is preventable with a course of vaccines, and infected people can be treated.


20.03.2008 Tanzania - Cholera In Tanzania, the outbreak of Cholera continued to affect Arusha. There were 160 cases reported in the first two months of this year. The disease is most common in countries facing inadequate sanitation, overcrowding and lack of access to clean water. It is preventable with a course of vaccines, and infected people can be treated.


19.03.2008 Thailand - Tularemia A 37 year old woman from Prachuap Kiri Khan province, about 320 kilometers south of Bangkok, died of Tularemia in February this year and the cause of her death was confirmed by laboratory tests in the USA, the Public Health Ministry in Thailand said yesterday. This is the country's 1st reported case of the disease. Tularemia, also known as rabbit fever, is caused by a bacterium found in animals, especially rabbits and hares, and is treated with antibiotics. Tularemia is endemic in many parts of the world, including North America, Eastern Europe, China, Japan and Scandinavia. Tularemia can be contracted through the bite of an infected tick, deerfly, or other insect, handling infected animal carcasses or through inhaling the bacteria.


18.03.2008 Vietnam - Avian Influenza H5N1 (Human) Bird flu has killed a 11-year-old boy in northern Vietnam, the fifth casualty from the H5N1 virus this year, a health official in Vietnam said yesterday. The boy died last Friday at a Hanoi hospital, more than a week after he had fallen sick, and tests confirmed he was infected by the H5N1 virus. Five people have died of bird flu in Vietnam so far this year out of six reported H5N1 infections. The World Health Organisation has not confirmed the death of the boy. The WHO said bird flu has killed 235 people among 372 known cases globally, among them 51 deaths in Vietnam.


17.03.2008 Australia (NSW) - Ross River Virus Health authorities in New South Wales (NSW) are warning people to protect themselves against mosquito bites following a 3-fold increase in mosquitoborne viruses in the 1st 2 months of the year. There were 380 cases of Ross River virus in New South Wales in January and February 2008, up from 78 for the same period last year. Barmah Forest virus cases almost doubled to 121 over the same period, and more are expected this month as the mosquito season peaks. Recent rainfall has been blamed for the explosion in mosquito numbers and cases of the viruses, which cause debilitating symptoms such as tiredness, sore and swollen joints, rashes, and fever.


16.03.2008 Oceania - Dengue Fever The Dengue Fever epidemic in New Caledonia has now affected some 104 persons since the beginning of 2008. Most of the cases are concentrated in the capital Noumea, on the island of Lifou (part of the Loyalty group), and on the Isle of Pines. In French Polynesia, since the beginning of 2008, more than a dozen persons have been infected with Dengue Fever. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


15.03.2008 Asia - Dengue Fever The Department of Health in Negros Oriental, the Philippines has recorded 174 Dengue Fever cases, with no death, in 2008 till the end of February. In Vietnam, nearly 4000 individuals have been infected with Dengue Fever in 2008. The disease is spreading mostly in the central and southern provinces, of which Ho Chi Minh City, Tien Giang and Ben Tre are hardest hit. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


14.03.2008 Trinidad and Tobago - Dengue Fever In Trinidad and Tobago, there have been 108 confirmed Dengue Fever cases reported for the first 7 weeks of 2008. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


13.03.2008 Brazil - Dengue Fever Since 2008, in the metropolitan region of Belem in the state of Para of Brazil, some 4.838 cases of Dengue Fever cases including 16 Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever cases and 6 deaths have been reported. Up to 25 February 2008, there were 3.263 Dengue Fever cases In Bahia state. The state of Rio de Janeiro has already registered 8 485 cases of Dengue Fever and 14 deaths in January 2008. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


12.03.2008 Paraguay - Yellow Fever (Update) The Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare of Paraguay has reported that more than 1.27 million people have been vaccinated against Yellow Fever in 18 departments. The total number of confirmed Yellow Fever cases in Paraguay has risen to 22, with 11 in San Pedro, 9 in Laurelty and 2 in other areas. Another 12 suspected cases are being investigated.


11.03.2008 Peru - Dengue Fever Until February 10.th 2008, there have been 1.406 Dengue Fever cases in Peru since the beginning of this year. Mostly from the Loreto area. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


10.03.2008 Australia - Dengue The dengue fever tally in Port Douglas has risen to 14. Health officials revealed that the infection rate of the disease continues to climb, despite mosquito traps laid around the town and spraying at sites where dengue has been reported. Public Health officials again called for residents to crack down on mosquito breeding sites. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


09.03.2008 USA(Arizona)/exSwitzerland - Measles A 2nd case of measles (a highly contagious airborne disease) has been confirmed at Northwest Medical Center. The case is linked to a previous case, which was traced to a tourist from Switzerland who was at the Northwest emergency room on 12 and 13 Feb 2008. The 2nd case was a patient in the emergency room on 12 or 13 Feb 2008 who was later diagnosed with measles, readmitted and treated in isolation between 24 and 26 Feb 2008. If you spent time at Northwest during that time and are unsure of your immunity to measles, health officials recommend you limit contact with others until 18 Mar 2008, during which time the illness could develop. If you develop symptoms like high fever, red eyes, runny nose and cough followed by a rash, call your doctor or health-care center.


08.03.2008 Egypt - Avian Influenza (Human) An eight-year old boy has contracted the H5N1 bird flu virus, the health ministry in Egypt announced today. The boy from Fayoum, south of Cairo, was admitted to a local hospital after coming into contact with infected poultry. He had high fever and shortness of breath and was transferred to a Cairo hospital today. He became the 47th case of the virus reported in Egypt since the first outbreak was announced in February 2006. A total of 20 people have died in Egypt from the virulent strain.


07.03.2008 Sri Lanka - Chikungunya Chikungunya is fast spreading in the Kuruwita-Erathna area, Sabaragamuwa province. The Provincial director of health said that nearly 150 patients were diagnosed with chikungunya in the area. The chikungunya virus was confirmed in blood samples that had been sent to the Colombo Medical Research Institute for testing. Chikungunya is a viral illness spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes. The disease resembles dengue fever and is characterized by severe, sometimes persistent, joint pain as well as fever and rash.


06.03.2008 Egypt - Avian Influenza (Human) The Ministry of Health and Population of Egypt has announced a new human case of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection. The case is an 11-year-old boy from Menof District, Menofia Governorate. He was hospitalized with symptoms on 26 February and was confirmed as being infected with A(H5N1) by the Central Public Health Laboratory and NAMRU-3 on 4 March. He remains in a critical condition. Of the 46 cases confirmed to date in Egypt, 20 have been fatal.


05.03.2008 Philippines - Typhoid Fever More than 1.400 people have displayed typhoid symptoms in less than a month in 5 adjacent villages in Calamba, about 34 miles from Manila. Extra medical teams have been sent to assist doctors and conduct disease surveillance in Calamba. Of 1.477 people with typhoid symptoms, 436 have been treated in the city's 6 hospitals and the rest in local community health centers since 16 Feb 2008. Only 37 of those cases have been confirmed with blood tests. So far there are no reported deaths.


04.03.2008 Egypt - Avian Influenza (Human) A young Egyptian woman has died of bird flu, becoming the 20th victim of the deadly virus in Egypt over the past two years, the health ministry announced on Tuesday. The 25-year old woman from Faiyum, southwest of Cairo, died in a Giza hospital in the suburbs of the capital where she was admitted on February 27.


03.03.2008 Argentina - Yellow Fever Following the official confirmation of a case of yellow fever in the town of San Vicente, Misiones province, and then to know the analysis provided by the National Institute of Human Viral Diseases, Pergamino, the Ministry of Health reiterated the recommendations and preventive actions carried out in conjunction with the provinces involved. The 24-year-old patient was in good general condition and remains in the hospital Samic of Oberá. He is a native of St. Vincent and had been working in the jungle area where the monkeys died last January 2008. Importantly, following the strengthening of epidemiological surveillance for febrile syndromes, over 100 suspected cases from throughout the country have been investigated, of which many have been discounted as not yellow fever, leaving other cases awaiting test results.


02.03.2008 Egypt - Avian Influenza (Human) A 25-year-old Egyptian woman tested positive for bird flu on Saturday, the 45th confirmed human case in the country. A Ministry of Health spokesman said the woman had been treated with the antiviral drug Tamiflu and had been transferred from Fayoum province to a hospital in Cairo.


01.03.2008 Danmark/exIndia or Nepal - Measles A total of 5 cases of measles were reported to the Department of Epidemiology in Denmark between mid-January and early February 2008. The cluster involved 4 adults aged between 23 and 39 years and an infant. All cases resided in the greater Copenhagen area. 3 cases were unvaccinated, one was vaccinated with 2 doses, and in one case the vaccination status is not yet known.
The index case was a 23-year-old unvaccinated man who developed a rash on 12 Jan 2008, 9 days after his return to Denmark after travelling to Nepal and India. The following 4 cases were a 24-year-old woman, a 10-month-old girl, a 26-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man with onset of rash on 1 Feb 3008. The 2nd case was the girlfriend of the index case. 2 cases are believed to have been infected from the index case while at the waiting room of 2 different general practitioners' practices, and another one in the hospital to which the index case was admitted.

29.02.2008 Egypt - Avian Influenza (Human) The Ministry of Health and Population of Egypt has announced a new human case of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection. The case is a 4 years old female from El-Edwa district, Menea governorate. She developed symptoms on 21 February and was hospitalized on 24 February. She is receiving treatment and is in a stable condition. Of the 44 cases confirmed to date in Egypt, 19 have been fatal.


28.02.2008 Canada/exDominican Republic - Malaria A Canadian woman was diagnosed falciparum Malaria (Malaria tropica) after returning home from her 2-week stay in Punta Cana of Dominican Republic.


27.02.2008 China - Measles In the Mainland, an outbreak of Measles killed 10 persons in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in January 2008. There were 4 365 cases of Measles in January 2008, a jump from 1 149 cases in December 2007 when Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region only had 2 fatal cases.


26.02.2008 South America - Dengue In Bolivia, more than 100 cases of Dengue Fever including one death have been reported in the country since the massive floods began in November last year.
In Brazil, 4.495 cases of Dengue Fever were reported in Rio de Janeiro so far this year. Spread by the daytime biting aedes aegypti mosquito, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Travelers should use repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and Permethrin on clothing, bedding and mosquito netting and wear light-weight long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors.


25.02.2008 Africa - Meningitis Belt/Meningococcal Meningitis The WHO Multi-Disease Surveillance Centre in Ouagadougou (MDSC - Burkina Faso) is monitoring the meningitis situation in the African meningitis belt throughout the epidemic season and, in particular, in 13 countries under enhanced seasonal surveillance: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Togo. Preliminary reports from these countries are of a total of 2312 cases (324 deaths) occurring between 1 Jan and 10 Feb 2008. Among countries reporting cases to the MDSC, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been reporting outbreaks since the beginning of the season. Other countries reporting meningitis activity without reaching the epidemic threshold at district level include Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Togo. Cameroon and Chad have not reported any cases. Burkina Faso is the most affected country with a total of 1422 cases, including 204 deaths (case fatality ratio [CFR] 14.3 per cent) reported from 1 Jan to 10 Feb 2008.


24.02.2008 DR Congo - Plague (Human) A total of 20 suspected human cases of pneumonic Plague were reported in Democratic Republic of the Congo, five of them died of the disease. Samples taken from the cases have been sent for laboratory investigations and the results were pending.


23.02.2008 Central Africa Republic - Meningococcal Meningitis An outbreak of Meningococcal Meningitis was reported in Central Africa Republic. The districts affected included Ouham, Ouham Pende and Nana-Grebizi.


22.02.2008 Paraguay - Yellow Fever The authority in Paraguay reported 3 Yellow Fever cases. The first case was a 25-year-old man from San Lorenzo, 20km from the capital Asuncion, who died of the disease. The second case was his neighbor, a 39-year-old woman who was seriously ill with similar symptoms. One case was reported in the Department of Concepcion. The patient is a 32-year-old teacher who developed symptoms after travelling to Asuncion, Caacupe and San Lorenzo and is now in hospital.


21.02.2008 China - Avian Influenza (Human) A man from China's southern Guangxi autonomous region has died of the H5N1 bird flu virus, the Health Ministry in China said today. The man fell ill on February 12, was admitted to hospital two days later and died on February 20, the ministry said on its Web site. Since late 2003, the country has had 29 human cases, including 19 deaths.


20.02.2008 Taiwan - Hand-Foot-Mouth-di