October 28, 2010 Uganda-Polio

Medical Alerts Uganda October 28, 2010 05:24 GMT Polio in Bugiri district Polio has been detected in eastern Uganda. A child from Bugiri district (see map) has wild polio virus type 1. Laboratory tests found that the virus was linked to one detected in 2009 in the Turkana area of Kenya, which borders Uganda. Reports suggest that polio spread internationally from Kenya into Uganda. It is possible that polio has been circulating more widely in Uganda, but that cases have gone undetected due to disease surveillance limitations.

October 27, 2010 Egypt- Conjunctivitis

Medical Alerts Egypt October 27, 2010 06:05 GMT Conjunctivitis outbreak in three northeastern governorates There is an outbreak of viral conjunctivitis in the north. Over 1,800 people have been infected. Dakahlia governorate is the hardest hit region, although cases have also been reported in Port Said and Damietta (see map). Some reports suggest the disease has spread to Alexandria. The authorities are further investigating the situation. 

October 22, 2010 Australia -Whooping Cough

Medical Alerts Australia October 22, 2010 11:47 GMT Whooping cough outbreak An increase in cases of whooping cough has been reported in several states.  Most  infections are in young children, however older children and adults have been affected too. A few fatalities have occurred.

October 21, 2010 Malaysia

Medical Alerts Malaysia October 21, 2010 20:16 GMT Health concerns due to haze Forest fires have caused a visible layer of smog to develop over various regions in Malaysia. Air pollutants have spiked, and visibility has been affected. At least 200 schools in the Muar and Ledang districts of Johor state (map) were temporarily closed after the Air Pollutant Index (API) increased to over 400. Levels above 100 are considered unhealthy.

            Health authorities have distributed masks and urged people to stay indoors.

October 21, 2010 Singapore

Medical Alerts Singapore October 21, 2010 20:03 GMT Health concerns due to haze A layer of smog is visible over parts of Singapore. Fires in Sumatra, Indonesia have caused air pollutants to rise to unhealthy levels. Singapore's Pollutions Standard Index (PSI) is at moderate levels, but they are the highest seen there since 2006. The air quality is expected to further decline if southwesterly winds persist.

October 19, 2010 Benin Cholera Outbreak

Medical Alerts Benin October 19, 2010 11:42 GMT Cholera outbreak About 800 people have been infected with cholera in an outbreak that began in October, associated with severe flooding. At least seven people have died. Case numbers are expected to rise. The city of Cotonou (see map) is particularly affected.

Two-thirds of the country is affected by floods. It is estimated about 100,000 are homeless and over 40 have been killed.

October 15, 2010 Asia & Indian Ocean -Chikungunya Fever

Chikungunya Fever in Asia and the Indian Ocean
This information is current as of today, October 15, 2010 at 19:26 EDT

Updated: October 14, 2010

Situation Information

Since 2006, parts of Asia and the Indian Ocean region have reported chikungunya fever activity. Several countries have increased surveillance for this disease, and cases continue to be reported throughout this region.
Chikungunya fever is a disease caused by a virus that is spread to people through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Symptoms can include sudden fever, joint pain with or without swelling, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, lower back pain, and a rash or skin irritation that may be red, itch or spread from one area to another. Chikungunya mainly occurs in areas of Africa and Asia. In 2007, limited transmission of chikungunya virus occurred in Italy.
The following examples highlight some recent chikungunya activity in Asia and the Indian Ocean region:
In 2009, the Ministry of Health in Malaysia reported over 4,430 cases of chikungunya fever.

October 11, 2010 Lake County, Oregon-Blubonic Plague

State health officials say a woman in Lake County has been diagnosed with blubonic plague. It is the 1st diagnosis of plague in Oregon in

15 years. The disease terrorized Europe's population more than 600 years ago, but the plague is treatable when caught early.

Dr. Emilio DeBess is the public health veterinarian and an epidemiologist with the Oregon Department of Human Services. He says the disease, once known as the Black Death, got somewhat of a bad rap after killing off 1/3rd of Europe's population in the 1300s.

But he says that thanks to scientific advances, "it's a very treatable condition with antibiotics, and so that's usually not a concern; back then, they didn't have antibiotics. We do have very good antibiotics that treat the infection."

October 10, 2010 Vietnam

Conjunctivitis in Hanoi An outbreak of viral conjunctivitis is underway in Hanoi. The International SOS clinic and other local sources report a surge in patients with "pink eye", particularly in school-aged children. The majority of cases are due to adenovirus.