The New York Times reports that travelers to the Caribbean island of St. Martin are being warned that, for the first time, a mosquito-borne illness called chikungunya has been detected there. Chikungunya causes fever, headache and severe joint pains that last about a week, and sometimes longer. There is no vaccine, so the only prevention is to avoid mosquito bites, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday. So far, 10 cases have been confirmed in St. Martin, and health officials believe the virus is present in the island’s mosquito populations — the first time that it appears to have established itself anywhere in the Western Hemisphere. Previous outbreaks have occurred in Africa, Asia and parts of Europe. Read article
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According to tvnz.co.nz, health authorities in Australia are warning travellers to Bali to ensure they are vaccinated against measles before they leave. At least seven Australians have caught the highly infectious disease while holidaying on the Indonesian island. The caution comes after five Victorians, who were not vaccinated, contracted measles in Indonesia in a five-week […]
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As reported by Canada.com, a video of two Czech tourists who were abducted by gunmen as they were travelling on a bus through southwest Pakistan shows them both speaking and alive. The two women were on the road from Iran to Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s southwest Baluchistan province, when they were seized in March. […]
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CBC reports that health officialsallowed a group of Japanese tourists quarantined over fears of a measles outbreak to leave their Banffhotel Tuesday. The group of 130 people, mostly Japanese high school students,is not a threat tothe public,said Dr. Judy MacDonald, a medical officer of health with the Calgary Health Region. “The Japanese tour group that […]
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According to stuff.co.nz, Bali holidaymakers have been warned to watch for measles symptoms after four West Australian travelers contracted the disease in the past week after returning from Indonesia. The WA Health Department director of communicable disease control Paul Armstrong said people were also potentially exposed to infection at general practice surgeries where the infected […]
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Theaustralian.co.au reports that a health authorities along Australia’s east coast are scrambling to issue measles alerts in hopes of curbing an outbreak of the highly contagious disease. Queensland, NSW and Victorian authorities have all issued their own warnings after a spate of cases in each state. The latest warning comes after a passenger travelling from […]
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According to foxnews.com, Cuba has reported a new cholera outbreak with 163 cases, 12 of whom are tourists, though no deaths were mentioned, according to a bulletin from the Pan American Health Organization. The PAHO update, dated Aug. 23, was based on information provided by epidemiological authorities on the island, where the new outbreak of […]
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As reported by Wmctv.com, the Arkansas water park where a young girl got a brain-eating parasite has shut down. Kali Hardig, 12, came down with parasitic meningitis, a rare infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba. She likely picked up at the Willow Springs Water Park in Little Rock. The infection has struck only 31 other […]
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According to cfnews13.com, a tourist from the United Kingdom has been diagnosed with the measles, but not before visiting multiple Orlando area attractions. The Orange County Department of Health said the visitor stopped at numerous attractions and businesses in the county between Tuesday, July 16 and Monday, July 22. Read article
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According to shanghaiist.com, a 20-year-old tourist from northeastern China was hospitalized after eating chuanr lamb skewers that were laced with rat poison. The man went out for a night of lamb-kabobs and drinks with his girlfriend and parents, and soon found himself hospitalized with “bruises the size of a sheet of paper.” Read article
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