International Education > Archive > Category: World Health Report

011620 – World Health Report

January 16, 2020

When traveling on behalf of UT Dallas, set up your institutional safety net and prepare for an emergency as a standard step of all your travels.  Find more information in the Traveler Best Practices webpage.

The risk information in this report is retrieved from U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and other professional sources as listed in the post. It provides general guidance for UT Dallas travelers.

Please note the revision date (mmddyy) of this report, printed on the title of the post, and go to the direct sources listed for the most up-to-date information.  The information in this report may change without prior notice.

Outbreaks and Illnesses of Concern

Ebola

  • Democratic Republic of the Congo * Ebola * ECDC * Since the previous CDTR on 20 December 2019 and as of 8 January 2020, the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported 38 additional confirmed Ebola cases. During the same period, 15 deaths were reported among confirmed cases.
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo  * Ebola virus disease  * WHO * Twelve new confirmed cases were reported from 1 to 7 January in the ongoing Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri Provinces.

Fresh Water Supply

  • Thailand * Fresh Water Supply * GOV.UK * Thailand is experiencing a drought that has led to some sea water entering the fresh water supply and tap water. This issue may continue for several months. Thailand’s Metropolitan Waterworks Authority advise that there is no risk to public health from drinking tap water but salty water can affect people in higher risk groups, such as those with kidney disease. If you are concerned about the risks to your personal health, you should drink bottled water and/or get medical advice.

Influenza season

  • Multi-country * Influenza * ECDC * Influenza activity continued to increase across the Region: more countries or territories reported increases for intensity and geographic spread compared to the previous weeks. The majority of reported influenza virus detections across the Region were type A, although six countries reported type B virus dominance and two other countries reported co-dominance of types A and B viruses. Data from the 22 countries or areas reporting to the EuroMOMO project indicated that all-cause mortality was at expected levels for this time of the year.
  • United States * Influenza* CIDRAP * Though flu activity is still high and widespread across much of the United States and five more children have died from flu, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that hospitalization rates and the percentage of deaths due to pneumonia and influenza remain low compared with past seasons.

Measles

  • Multi-country * Measles * ECDC * Most of the Measles cases in 2019 were reported from Romania (3308), France (2613), Italy (1605), Poland (1492), and Bulgaria (1230). In 2019, 10 deaths were reported in the EU/EEA: Romania (5), France (2), Italy (1), Hungary (1) and UK (1). On 29 August 2019, the European Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination (RVC) determined that, for the first time since the verification process began in the Region in 2012, four countries (Albania, the Czech Republic, Greece and the United Kingdom) had lost their measles elimination status.
  • Gaza Strip * Measles * WHO * From 1 January through 19 December 2019, a total of 124 laboratory confirmed cases of measles, including two deaths, were reported in the Gaza Strip (case fatality ratio=1.6%). Of the confirmed cases, forty-nine cases (40%) were hospitalized, 12 were among health care workers, and seventy-five (60%) were males.
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo * Measles * CIDRAP * As the WHO calls for more funding, the CDC says US cases reached 1,282 in 2019.

MERS-CoV

  • Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates * MERS CoV * ECDC * Since the previous CDTR published on 6 December 2019 and as of 8 January 2020, Saudi Arabia has reported an increase of six cases and four deaths and the United Arab Emirates have reported one additional case. So far, 11 of 13 regions in Saudi Arabia have reported cases from 1 January 2019 to 8 January 2020, and two of these, Madinah and Riyad have reported cases in the last seven days.
  • United Arab Emirates * Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) * WHO * On 29 December 2019, the National IHR Focal Point of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported one laboratory-confirmed case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) to WHO. The case is a 74-year-old male national who owns a camel farm located in Al Ain City, Abu Dhabi region in UAE where he is living.

Monkeypox

  • Nigeria * Watch – Monkeypox  * CDC * There is an ongoing outbreak of monkeypox in Nigeria. Infected animals such as rodents and primates can spread the virus to people (or other animals) when they bite or scratch. A person can also become infected by touching infected animals or from touching products that come from infected animals, including meat. People infected with monkeypox can spread the virus to others through the air when they cough, sneeze, or talk. The body fluids and skin sores of a person infected with monkeypox are also infectious. Travelers to Nigeria can protect themselves from monkeypox by washing their hands often with soap and water and avoiding contact with wild animals and products made from wild animals. Travelers should also avoid contact with people who are sick.


Novel Coronavirus

  • China * Novel Coronavirus * ECDC * On 31 December 2019, the Wuhan Municipal Health and Health Commission informed about a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown aetiology with a common exposure in Wuhan’s South China Seafood City marked. Further investigations could identify a novel coronavirus as the causative agent of the respiratory symptoms for some of these cases
  • China * Watch – Novel Coronavirus * CDC * There is an outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan, China preliminarily identified to be caused by a novel (new) coronavirus. Chinese health officials report no confirmed human-to-human spread with this novel coronavirus and no health care workers caring for patients have been reported ill. Reportedly, most patients have had links to a large seafood and live animal market. The market has been closed since January 1, 2020 for cleaning and disinfection. No new cases have been identified since January 3, 2020. Travelers to Wuhan, China, should avoid animals (alive or dead), animal markets, and contact with sick people. The situation is evolving. This notice will be updated as more information becomes available.
  • China * Novel Coronavirus * WHO * On 11 and 12 January 2020, WHO received further detailed information from the National Health Commission about the outbreak. WHO is reassured of the quality of the ongoing investigations and the response measures implemented in Wuhan, and the commitment to share information regularly.  Among the 41 confirmed cases, there has been one death. This death occurred in a patient with serious underlying medical conditions.
  • China * Novel Coronavirus* CIDRAP * In quickly moving developments on January 10, health officials from Wuhan, China, posted a novel coronavirus (nCoV) pneumonia outbreak update, which scaled back the number of cases to 41 and noted the first death, and researchers from China released the genetic sequence of the nCoV.
  • Macao, Hong Kong * Novel Coronavirus * GOV.UK * On 31 December 2019, the WHO China Country Office was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province. As of 5 January 2020, a total of 59 cases have been reported.
  • Thailand * Novel Coronavirus * WHO * On 13 January 2020, the Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) reported the first imported case of lab-confirmed novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) from Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The case is a 61-year-old Chinese woman living in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. On 5 January 2020, she developed fever with chills, sore throat and headache. On 8 January 2020, she took a direct flight to Thailand from Wuhan City together with five family members in a tour group of 16 people. The patient’s full exposure history is under investigation.

Pan-resistant C auris

  • United States * Pan-resistant C auris  * CIDRAP * Scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the New York State Department of Health reported today that three cases of pan-resistant Candida auris have been identified in New York.  As of Dec 11, the CDC said 941 confirmed and probable C auris cases have been reported in 13 states, and an additional 1,830 patients have been found to be colonized with the multidrug-resistant fungus. Most of the cases have been detected in the New York City area, New Jersey, and the Chicago area.

Polio

  • Multi-country * Polio * ECDC * On 7 January, the twenty-third meeting of the Emergency committee under the International Health Regulations (2005)published that the risk of international spread of poliovirus remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and recommended the extension of Temporary Recommendations for three months more. Since the last polio update published on 12 December 2019 and as of 7 January 2020: Wild poliovirus: Forty new cases of wild poliovirus type 1 have been reported in Pakistan (34) and Afghanistan (6). Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV): No new case of cVDPV1 has been reported. Thirty-four new cases of cVDPV2 have been reported in Angola (15), Democratic Republic of Congo (10), Ghana (2), Chad (2), Pakistan(1), Philippines (1), Central African Republic (1), Togo (1), Zambia (1).

Please note the revision date (mmddyy) of this report, printed on the title of the post, and go to the direct sources listed for the most up-to-date information.  The information in this report may change without prior notice.