World Status Report

This report intends to give the UTD Community a snapshot of international risks, and other issues as reported by the linked media and official sources from the U.S. and other countries.

More health and security information for each country can be found in the travel advisories issued by the governments of the United States, Canada, the UK, New Zealand, and Australia, and the CDC, ECDC, and WHO sites. Not all advise in these sites will apply to US travelers.

Please note the publication date of this report and go to the direct sources linked for the most up-to-date information.  The information in this report may change without prior notice.

Security

• Mali’s Tuareg rebels claim capture of more military bases (Reuters). Fresh fighting broke out between Mali’s army and northern Tuareg rebels on Sunday, with the rebels claiming to have taken control of two army bases in the central town of Lere. Clashes appear to be intensifying as both sides seek to control territory in the desert centre and north of the West African country, just as U.N. peacekeepers withdraw.
• Ethiopian forces clash with al Shabaab in western Somalia, residents say (Reuters). Ethiopian forces engaged in fierce clashes with al Shabaab fighters near the town of Rab Dhuure in western Somalia on Sunday morning, local residents said.

Demonstrations

• Tens of thousands of demonstrators in hundreds of cities across the world this weekend called for (AP) business and government leaders to more aggressively address global warming ahead of a week of meetings related to climate change in New York.

Infrastructure

• Dominican Republic’s president stands resolute on his closing of all borders with Haiti (AP News). The president of the Dominican Republic on Sunday defended his decision to close air, sea and land traffic with neighboring Haiti in their dispute over construction of a canal targeting a river that runs through both countries.
• Nigeria restoring power after nationwide blackouts (Reuters on MSN.com). Nigeria’s electricity distribution companies reported “a total system collapse” on Thursday after a fire on a major transmission line, causing widespread blackouts across Africa’s biggest economy, before power slowly started to return.
• Mexico on track to break asylum application record (AP News). Mexico is on track to receive more asylum applications this year than ever before as the flow of migrants threatens to overwhelm governments of several Latin American countries along the migratory route.

Natural Disasters

• India – Monsoon rains, update (ERCC). Heavy rainfall continues to affect parts of India, causing floods and severe weather-related incidents that have resulted in casualties and damage.
• Libya – Floods, update (ERCC). According to UN OCHA and the International Organisation for Migration over 5,000 people have reportedly died, while more than 10,000 others remain missing and more than 33,000 are displaced following the devastating floods. These numbers are subject to further adjustment as assessments continue.
• Democratic Republic of the Congo – Landslide (ERCC). A landslide triggered by the heavy rainfall that has been affecting the north-western Democratic Republic of the Congo occurred on 17 September in Lisal City, north-western Mongala Province, leading to casualties.
• Indonesia – Floods (ERCC). Heavy rainfall has been affecting Sumatra Islands over the past few days, causing floods and resulting in damage.
• Uganda – Landslide injuries and destruction (ERCC). A landslide occurred on 12 September in the evening affecting 5 parishes in Bungati, in the Mount Elgon sub-region of eastern Uganda close to the Kenyan border.

Health

• As of 10 August 2023, ECDC classified all COVID XBB.1.5-like lineages with additional spike protein change F456L as variants of interest (VOI) (ECDC). This includes lineages EG.5, FL.1.5.1, XBB.1.16.6 and FE.1, among others. The reason for this classification is the rapid increase in proportion of these lineages within the EU/EEA, together with a slight increase in epidemiological indicators. The reason ECDC is not singling out EG.5 within the group is that other 456L-lineages also exhibit elevated growth rates, and the likely source of the elevated growth rate is the F456L change itself. The overall trend for the variant proportion is increasing.
• As of 13 September 2023, the Finnish Food Authority ordered the euthanisation of all foxes and raccoon dogs in farms with confirmed avian influenza A(H5N1) virus (ECDC). Sequencing analyses of avian influenza virus isolated from fur farms suggest a possible spread from birds (gulls) to mammals, and also potentially between mammals at affected fur farms. To date, no human cases have been detected among farm workers and their close contacts.
• Since the first week of August and as of 11 September 2023, 19 locally acquired dengue fever cases have been detected in the Lombardy (14) and Lazio (5) regions in Italy (ECDC). Since the mosquito vector Aedes albopictus is established in most of Europe, further virus introductions leading to secondary autochthonous transmissions may occur in most of the southern countries of the EU/EEA
• The latest epidemiological update published on 15 September reports 164 confirmed cases and 25 deaths of Legionnaires’ disease in south-eastern Poland (ECDC). Investigations are still ongoing to identify the source of this outbreak.
• There is an outbreak of diphtheria in several districts in Guinea (CDC). All travelers 2 months and older traveling to outbreak areas should receive an age-appropriate dose of a diphtheria toxoid-containing vaccine if they are not completely vaccinated or if they have not received a booster dose within 5 years prior to departure.
• CDC notes US COVID-19 hospital cases up slightly (CIDRAP). Roughly 18,900 Americans were hospitalized for the virus in the first week of September.
• Nipah outbreak in India grows to 6 cases (CIDRAP). Of the six people with confirmed Nipah, two have died. One of the surviving patients is a 9-year-old boy on a ventilator. Schools will remained closed until Friday, and all public gatherings have been banned till September 24. Public last Friday prayers were also canceled.
• Dengue fever cases see sharp rise in Hanoi (VOV Online). According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dengue infections have been recorded in as many as 29 out of 30 districts and towns across Hanoi. The CDC said Hanoi is currently in the peak season for dengue fever as the number of cases will continue to rise over the coming weeks.

Please note the publication date of this report and go to the direct sources linked for the most up-to-date information. The information in this report may change without prior notice.

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