What is ZIKA and should I be worried in India?

Symptoms

• About 1 in 5 people infected with Zika virus become ill (i.e., develop Zika).
• The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis (red eyes). Other common symptoms include muscle pain and headache. The incubation period (the time from exposure to symptoms) for Zika virus disease is not known, but is likely to be a few days to a week.
• The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week.
• Zika virus usually remains in the blood of an infected person for a few days but it can be found longer in some people.
• Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon.
• Deaths are rare.

Diagnosis

• The symptoms of Zika are similar to those of dengue and chikungunya, diseases spread through the same mosquitoes that transmit Zika.
• See your healthcare provider if you develop the symptoms described above and have visited an area where Zika is found.
• If you have recently traveled, tell your healthcare provider when and where you traveled.
• Your healthcare provider may order blood tests to look for Zika or other similar viruses like dengue or chikungunya.

Treatment

• No vaccine or medications are available to prevent or treat Zika infections.
• Treat the symptoms:
  • Get plenty of rest.
  • Drink fluids to prevent dehydration.
  • Take medicine such as acetaminophen to relieve fever and pain.
  • Do not take aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen and naproxen. Aspirin and NSAIDs should be avoided until dengue can be ruled out to reduce the risk of hemorrhage (bleeding). If you are taking medicine for another medical condition, talk to your healthcare provider before taking additional medication.
• If you have Zika, prevent mosquito bites[PDF - 2 pages] for the first week of your illness.
• During the first week of infection, Zika virus can be found in the blood and passed from an infected person to another mosquito through mosquito bites.
• An infected mosquito can then spread the virus to other people.

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Here is what India is doing about the virus as of Jan 2016

After swine flu and Ebola, a lesser-known-Zika virus is the new global threat that has put many countries on alert. With international experts raising concerns over its possible spread being similar to dengue and chikungunya, the Union health ministry has called health experts from the National Vector Borne Disease Control Program-me and National Centre for Disease Control to closely follow the trend so as to keep the virus at bay.

“The virus is posing threat to all the countries around the world. While, as of now, there is no case that has been reported from India. We are examining the reports. The matter will be taken up with public health experts on Monday after which we will indicate our appropriate response,” said a senior official in the health ministry.

So far, the outbreaks of Zika virus — in which babies are born with unusually small heads — have been reported in central and south America. Locally transmitted (autochthonous) cases of Zika have been detected in Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. Zika virus is an emerging mosquito-borne arbovirus that was first isolated from a rhesus monkey in Uganda in 1947, and caused sporadic human infections in some African and Asian countries, with usually mild symptoms of fever, rash, and arthralgia. In 2007, it caused an epidemic on Yap Island in the Federated States of Micronesia, then spread to many countries in Oceania, before arriving in the Americas in 2014-15, probably via Easter Island.

With an estimated 4,40,000-1,30,0000 cases currently in Brazil alone, “Zika virus could be following in the footsteps of dengue and chikungunya, which are also transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Given that an outbreak anywhere is potentially a threat everywhere, now is the time to step up all efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to Zika virus,” said the Lancet. So far, the Phylogenetic analyses show that the strains of Suriname belong to the Asian genotype, and are closely related to the strain that was circulating in French Polynesia in 2013. Last month, the ministry of health in Brazil reported a twenty-fold annual increase in cases of newborn babies with microcephaly in the northeastern region of the country. While a causal link between Zika virus in the mother and microcephaly in the newborn baby is yet to be firmly established.

Other congenital neurological anomalies and an increased frequency of Guillain-Barré syndrome linked to Zika virus have also been reported.

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Angola: Yellow fever kills seven people - Jan 2016

Luanda - The Health minister, José Van-Dunem, reported on Wednesday in Luanda that it was recorded 23 cases of yellow fever that resulted in seven deaths of Eritrean and Congolese citizens Zango I ward in Viana municipality.

According to the official, who was speaking at a press conference, the 16 survivors, 13 were discharged and three are given special care. Among the victims, 22 are men and one is a woman, aged between 20 and 46 years old.

He said that the first case of yellow fever was recorded on 5 December 2015 by a citizen of Eritrea.

To detect hemorrhagic fever that affects the citizens of Viana, Jose Van-Dunem recalled that the Ministry of Health had sent three samples in South Africa and found that it was yellow fever, but still he stressed, it is awaited the final result of the tests sent to the laboratory of Dakar, Senegal, by the World Health Organization (WHO).

He assured that after the final result, the Ministry of Health will hold vaccination campaign in Viana, targeting firstly children, pregnant women, health professionals and finally the population in general.

The official explained that yellow fever is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes that causes fever, muscle aches, loss of appetite, nausea and may lead to death.

This disease can expand nationally, if Measures must be taken to prevent and combat this disease so as to avoid its expansion nationwide.

Source

The southern African nation of Angola has reported some 23 cases of yellow fever that resulted in seven deaths in Viana municipality, according to local media Friday.

Angola
Image/CIA

Health minister, José Van-Dunem said during a press conference in Luanda that the first case was reported on 5 December 2015 in a Eritrea citizen. In addition, cases have been reported in Congolese citizens.

In all, Van-Dunem said of the 16 survivors, 13 were discharged and three are given special care. Among the victims, 22 are men and one is a woman, aged between 20 and 46 years old.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Yellow fever virus is found in tropical and subtropical areas in South America and Africa. The virus is transmitted to people by the bite of an infected mosquito.

The majority of persons infected with yellow fever virus have no illness or only mild illness. In persons who develop symptoms, the incubation period (time from infection until illness) is typically 3–6 days. The initial symptoms include sudden onset of fever, chills, severe headache, back pain, general body aches, nausea, and vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. Most persons improve after the initial presentation.

After a brief remission of hours to a day, roughly 15% of cases progress to develop a more severe form of the disease. The severe form is characterized by high fever, jaundice, bleeding, and eventually shock and failure of multiple organs.

There is no specific treatment for yellow fever; care is based on symptoms. Steps to prevent yellow fever virus infection include using insect repellent, wearing protective clothing, and getting vaccinated.

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Online tools can help Doctors aid patients travelling abroad

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Despite the fact that more than 1 billion people travel internationally, few American adults are up-to-date on their recommended vaccinations.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adult vaccination rates remain low. In 2013, pneumococcal vaccination coverage was just 21.2% for adults aged 19 to 64; tetanus vaccinations were 62.9% in adults aged 19 to 49, 64% in adults aged 50 to 64, and 56.4% in adults over age 64; full Tdap coverage was 17.2%; hepatitis A coverage was 9% for adults overall; hepatitis B was 25%; and herpes zoster coverage to prevent shingles was 24.2%. Additionally, HPV coverage was 36.9% in women aged 19 to 26.

In a new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, public health experts recommend travelers visit their physician four weeks to six weeks before planned international travel to make sure they have up-to-date vaccinations. Routine vaccinations like those listed above should certainly be up-to-date, but other vaccinations than might not normally be needed in the United States might be added depending on the individual’s travel plans.

Physicians should be sure to question patients planning international travel about their destination, and review possible health and outbreak warnings for that area. For example, yellow fever is an acute haemorrhagic disease endemic in areas of Africa and Latin America that kills about half of the people it infects. Vaccination against yellow fever is highly effective and lasts for life, but must be given 10 to 30 days before travel.

The World Health Organization (WHO) maintains a database that can be searched by country that details the prevalence of vaccine-preventable conditions across the globe.

Travel to Africa and Asia should be most scrutinized in terms of vaccinating against preventable diseases, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, which maintains aninteractive map of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks around the world. In 2015, there were nearly 200,000 cases of measles worldwide, more than 8,000 cases of pertussis, 2,000 cases of mumps, and 86 cases of polio.

Edward T. Ryan, MD, director of the global infectious diseases program, the tropical and geographic medicine center and the travelers’ advice and immunization center at Massachusetts General Hospital, co-directs GlobalTravEpiNet program, a CDC-supported national program charged with advancing the healthcare of international travelers from U.S.

“International travelers are at risk of acquiring geographically distributed infections and infections that are more common in resource-limited areas of the world (measles, dengue, zika, malaria, Ebola, typhoid, SARs, MERs, influenza),” Ryan told Medical Economics. “International travel not only poses this risk of infection for the individual traveler, but also can lead to the importation of diseases into the U.S.”

Responding to these diseases is expensive and time-consuming, and most importantly, preventable, he says.

“Data suggest that most people do not seek any medical advice and care before they travel, or if they do, they seek it on the Internet or from their primary care provider,” Ryan says. “The CDC recommends that all travelers touch base with their medical provider to make sure their routine immunization are up to date (for example measles, flu, tetanus, and chicken pox), and that travelers to higher risk or resource poor areas consider additional immunizations against typhoid, hepatitis A and yellow fever, if indicated, as well as malaria and diarrhea pills.”

Ryan says international travelers should also receive education on insect bites (dengue, malaria, chikungunya, zika), as well as accidents and trauma (the leading cause of death of healthy Americans overseas).

“Ideally the traveler would seek medical care at least 4 to 6 weeks before their trip; however, significant benefits can occur from even a last minute visit to the health care provider,” he says.

Ryan also recommends travelers utilize the Heading Home Healthy Program and TRhIPtool to learn about risks of travel, and vaccines and medications that they may need. There is also a rapid assessment tool for primary care physicians that can quickly provide travel recommendations based on the patient’s information and destination.

Comments: These are some wonderful and innovative ideas that can help new age doctors help the patients in a fast, cost effective and accurate manner. All travel health specialists should certainly have a look at these resources, and even travelers themselves will find these tools easy to use and quite effective

Dr Nimako: What to know about Meningitis & Yellow Fever - The Ghana Experience

Health news in Ghana over the past 2 weeks has been dominated by the outbreak of meningitis in the Brong-Ahafo Region and Yellow fever in the Northern Region. Both diseases are of high public health importance and we all need to understand them well, in order to be able to better protect ourselves and to allay unnecessary fear and panic.

Here is a briefing about the two diseases.

Meningitis

Meningitis simply means inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord (the meninges). This inflammation is usually due to bacterial or viral infections, but may also result from parasitic infections and non-infectious agents like irritation from blood and cancer cells.

In the context of an outbreak, meningitis refers to a bacterial infection of the meninges.

There are many types of bacterial infections that can cause meningitis outbreaks: Neisseria meningitides, which is highly infectious is the major cause of outbreaks, but in adolescents Pneumococcus, which is not as infectious, is a common culprit, like we are seeing in the current outbreak. The term Cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) is a term reserved for meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitides.

Meningitis is mainly transmitted through the inhalation of respiratory droplets (from e.g. sneezing or coughing) from an infected individual (NB: infected individuals do not necessarily show symptoms; some are silent carriers).

The classic triad of symptoms is fever, severe headache and neck stiffness. Other symptoms are nausea, vomiting and photophobia (intolerance of bright light). Seizures, irritability, confusion and coma may also occur. Complications like kidney failure and bleeding disorders may occur in severe cases. Survivors of severe disease may end up with permanent disability like blindness, hearing impairment and mental retardation.

Diagnosis is through the laboratory analysis of a sample of spinal fluid tapped from the lower back, a procedure referred to as a lumbar puncture.

Bacterial meningitis is fatal without treatment. A delay in initiating treatment worsens the prognosis. Treatment involves the administration of appropriate antibiotics and supportive therapy as necessary.

Vaccination is a potent way to prevent severe infections. The immunization schedule of children in Ghana include vaccination against some of the organisms that cause meningitis. Immunization drives are also organized periodically for vulnerable populations to ensure they are protected, as happened in 2012 in Northern Ghana. There are also vaccines that are deployed during outbreaks with particular strains of Neisseria meningitides to protect individuals in the outbreak zone; this current outbreak is not one such.

Prevention also involves avoiding crowded places, hand hygiene (washing hands regularly and using hand sanitizers) and covering the nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.

Outbreaks of diseases may occur from time to time, but once we are aware of how to protect ourselves, such outbreaks should not cause much havoc. The ministry of health and its agencies are doing their best to contain the situation; let’s do our bit to stay safe.

Yellow fever

Yellow fever is a viral infection of humans. It derives its name from the yellowing of skin and eyes (jaundice) that occurs late in the disease, when it causes liver damage.

It is transmitted through the bite of an infected female Aedes aegypti mosquito (in most cases), which is different from the Anopheles mosquito that causes Malaria.

In Ghana and other African countries, yellow fever typically occurs in epidemic form.

The outbreaks usually occur in urban settlements near forest areas, since the organism maintains its life in forest primates like monkeys. When an infected primate is bitten by a mosquito and that same mosquito bites man, an outbreak can occur, with the virus spreading from person to person through the bite of the female Aedes aegypti mosquito. This mosquito– unlike the malaria-causing Anopheles mosquito which bites at night– bites in the mornings and early evenings.

The initial (acute) symptoms are fever, chills, muscle aches, headaches, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. These symptoms are common to many other infections and this non-specificity in symptomatology makes disease difficult to diagnose in the early stages. This acute phase typically lasts a few days (about 4 days) and resolves spontaneously without complications. This is the case for most of the infections.

About 15 percent of cases will progress to a toxic phase where the virus affects the liver, causing liver damage and resultant jaundice and bleeding- from any orifice. This results in multiple organ failure in about 20% of such severe cases, eventually leading to death.

Treatment is purely supportive- that is, medical personnel manage the symptoms as they arise and allow the infection time to “blow over”. Such supportive therapy may include antipyretics for fever, fluids for dehydration, analgesics for bodily pains and blood transfusions as necessary. There is no cure and prevention is thus very important.

“Vaccination is the most important preventive measure against yellow fever. The vaccine is safe, affordable and highly effective, and a single dose of yellow fever vaccine is sufficient to confer sustained immunity and life-long protection against yellow fever disease and a booster dose of yellow fever vaccine is not needed.” (WHO, March, 2014). The earliest age for vaccination is 9 months.

Survivors of the infection also have lifelong protection from the disease.

Preventing mosquito bites, by wearing protective clothing when outdoors in forest regions, using mosquito repellants and sleeping in insecticide-treated mosquito nets is also important in preventing infection in the non-vaccinated population.

–

By: K.T. Nimako (MB ChB)

Dr. Kojo Nimako is a private medical practitioner with an interest in public health, and Citi FM’s Chief Medical Correspondent. He is also the editor of healthbloggh.com and the Executive Director of Helping Hand Medical Outreach, an NGO focused on health education.

Follow on Twitter: @KTNimako

Send an e-mail: kojotwumnimako@gmail.com

- See more at: http://citifmonline.com/2016/01/22/dr-nimako-what-to-know-about-meningitis/#sthash.IgYNFpUw.dpuf

CDC Issues Zika Travel Alert

Pregnant women in any trimester should consider postponing travel to 14 countries and territories in South and Central America and the Caribbean where mosquitos are spreading the Zika virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced tonight. Viral infection in pregnant women has been associated with microcephaly in infants.

In what it calls a level 2 travel alert, the CDC also advises women who are thinking about becoming pregnant to consult with their physician before traveling to these areas, and if they do, follow strict precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Safeguards include wearing long-sleeve shirts and long pants and using insect repellent.

The 14 countries and territories covered by the travel alert are Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Lyle Petersen, MD, director of the CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, told reporters at a 7 PM ET briefing that the travel alert couldn't wait until Monday.

"We believe this is a fairly serious problem," said Dr Petersen. "Because there's growing evidence of a link between Zika and microcephaly, we thought it was important to warn people as soon as possible."

Babies with microcephaly have a smaller-than-expected head. They often have smaller brains as well that may not have developed properly. Problems associated with microcephaly, which include seizures, developmental delays, intellectual and motor disabilities, and hearing loss can range from mild to life-threatening.

Microcephaly aside, the Zika virus normally does not cause illness that requires hospitalization or leads to fatalities. Roughly one in five people infected with the virus will develop symptoms such as fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis. The symptoms usually are mild and last a few days to a week. There is no vaccine to prevent Zika, or medicine to treat it.

Microcephaly Uncommon Here

Of the 14 countries and territories cited in the travel alert, Brazil troubles the CDC the most. The agency said Brazilian public health authorities have identified 3500 cases of microcephaly, some severe and fatal, between October 2015 and January 2016.

Cynthia Moore, MD, PhD, director of the agency’s Division of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, told reporters tonight that this number represented a definite but unquantified increase over the normal incidence of microcephaly in Brazil. The baseline for the condition there, Dr Moore said, is hard to determine. However, even half of the reported cases "would be quite a large increase."

Brazilian health authorities provided the CDC with samples from two pregnancies that ended in miscarriages, and from two infants with microcephaly who died soon after birth. All four mothers said they had experienced Zika symptoms. CDC tests showed that the Zika virus was in the brain of the two full-term infants, and a genetic sequence analysis showed that the virus in all four cases matched that of the Zika virus circulating in Brazil.

Dr Petersen said his agency is working with Brazilian health authorities and other groups to better understand the link between the Zika virus and microcephaly.

Microcephaly is uncommon in the United States, affecting an estimated two to 12 babies per 10,000 live births, according to the CDC.

More information about the CDC travel alert is on the agency's website.

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NDMC to accept online applications for yellow fever vaccines in New Delhi

PTI | Jul 12, 2015, 11.14 AM IST

Around 5,000 people come to the NDMC centre for vaccination annually. The fee for vaccination is Rs 300 per dose.

NEW DELHI: Delhiites travelling to tropical and sub-tropical places in Africa and South America can now apply online for yellow fever vaccination on the website of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).

The online facility was launched last week. Earlier, the travellers had to visit NDMC headquarters to submit applications for yellow fever vaccination, following which the council used to allot them an available slot.

Yellow fever is a haemorrhagic disease caused by a virus of the genus Flavivirus transmitted to humans by the bite of infected mosquitoes.

Though the epidemic is not prevalent in India, climatic conditions for propagation of the virus and vector responsible for transmission are present in the country. So it is mandatory for Indians travelling to Africa and South America to be vaccinated.

Anyone, except for infants upto the age of 9 months, arriving by air or sea without yellow fever vaccination certificate is detained in isolation for upto 6 days if the person has arrived through an airport situated in an area with risk of yellow fever transmission.

"Once the travellers plan their trip, they can apply online and select the earliest vacant slot available. There will be 50 vaccination slots available weekly," a senior NDMC official said.

Latest Comment

It will be a great advantage for travellers to and from S.America and Africa when the online application process will ... Read MoreZokhuma Lushai

Travellers can get vaccinated at the International Inoculation Centre on Mandir Marg in the council's jurisdiction from 2pm to 4pm every Wednesday and Friday.

Around 5,000 people come to the NDMC centre for vaccination annually. The fee for vaccination is Rs 300 per dose.

Travellers can also submit their applications to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, however, there is no online application process available yet.

Source

Comment: A traveler who visited our clinic has confirmed that the process works, even though some time is needed in the clinic itself.

Also it must be remembered that the government centers across India generally use an unbranded multidose Yellow Fever vaccination and inject 5-10 people with a single dose. TravelSafe Clinic on the other hand uses only SINGLE DOSE WHO approved STAMARIL vaccine from France, and provides the original sticker of the vaccination on the certificate itself. We have a center in NOIDA that provides Yellow Fever Vaccination in National Capital Region. You can call us at +918010777722 or email noida@travelsafeclinic.com for more information

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ZIKA VIRUS - IT’S CAUSING BABIES TO BE BORN WITH TINY HEADS

By Alexandra Ossola Posted January 13, 2016

Recently, a new viral outbreak in South America has been getting some attention. It’s called the Zika virus, and it’s spread throughout the continent over the past two years. While scientists work to understand just how the disease affects the body, the virus continues it's northward march: After appearing in Puerto Rico at the end of December, the first case of Zika was just diagnosed on the mainland U.S., near Houston, Texas.

Until a few months ago, you might have never run across the name “Zika.” The virus is named for the Zika forest in Uganda where scientists first identified it in 1947.

Since then, scientists have figured out the basics for how the virus works. Zika spreads through mosquito bites, with symptoms like fever and joint pain that usually appear a few days later. Because of how it spreads and the nature of these symptoms, Zika is often compared to dengue fever, also called “breakbone fever.” But Zika is generally milder—only about one fifth of patients develop any symptoms, and most who do are back to normal within a week. So far, Zika has not caused any deaths. There’s no specific treatment or vaccine for Zika; those infected usually just need to take aspirin, drink water, and get lots of rest.
Researchers, however, have recently found a new, disturbing side effect. In October, epidemiologists studying the current outbreak in Brazil noticed a higher incidence of microcephaly, a rare neurological condition in which babies are born with smaller than normal heads and underdeveloped brains. Microcephaly is usually rare, but in some areas where Zika was particularly common, the condition was popping up many more times than it had in previous years--Brazil public health officials reported that in 2015, 3,000 babies were born with the condition, compared to 20 the year before. They noticed more babies with microcephaly were born to mothers infected with Zika, even if they didn't show any symptoms.
Researchers are still not certain how Zika is triggering the increased incidence of microcephaly. But the connection is causing panic—so much so that the Brazilian government recently told women in the country's northeast, where the epidemic has hit hardest, not to get pregnant for fear of these birth defects.

If scientists have known about Zika for nearly 70 years, why is this the first time they have found a connection between the disease and microcephaly?
For one thing the outbreak, going on for two years in South America, is by far the largest Zika epidemic researchers have ever seen. While individual cases have popped up all over the world, previous outbreaks, in 2007 and 2013, have been limited to a few thousand inhabitants on small islands. “We can’t see the same effects from such a small scale,” says Marie-Claire Paty, an epidemiologist specializing in vector-borne diseases at the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance in Paris. “The difference is that in South America, this is a big outbreak with a lot of inhabitants exposed to risk.”
Studying a disease like this in a lab, Paty adds, is very different from seeing its effects in real world-scenarios. Not only would researchers never think to look at the virus’ effects on pregnant women, studying it in the lab would be ethically fraught.

Outbreaks of mosquito-borne viruses—like Zika and chikungunya—seem to be happening because of globalization. Simply put, it's become easier than ever for people to travel the globe, and the same goes for diseases. There’s debate about how Zika arrived in Brazil, but some experts think a mosquito, hitching a ride on an airplane, brought it during the massive arrival of fans to the 2014 World Cup. Global warming, of course, also seems to play a role, expanding the range at which mosquitos and other disease-carrying insects, like ticks, can live comfortably.
What's the outlook?
The epidemic will likely continue for the foreseeable future, spreading around South and Central America and the Caribbean over the next few months, Paty says. The previous smaller outbreaks, which took place on two islands in the Pacific (Yap, in Micronesia, and in French Polynesia), ended when a large proportion of people had developed immunity after being infected, Paty adds. But with a much larger population at risk, that might not be what curbs the outbreak this time.
Without a vaccine available, officials are working to prevent more infections by warning at-risk populations about Zika. Epidemiologists like Paty will be carefully tracking its trajectory to learn more about how it spreads; other scientists will investigate the connection between Zika and microcephaly.
For now, experts have more questions than answers. That will likely put American officials on edge as Zika makes its way into Puerto Rico and the mainland U.S. (the patient recently diagnosed in Texas likely contracted the disease when traveling in South America). The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), as well as public health agencies in other countries, suggests that people in places where Zika virus has been reported take care to prevent mosquito bites by using insect repellant, wearing long sleeves, and staying in places with air conditioning or screens on windows and doors.

Source

Yellow fever outbreak kills three in Ghana

Three persons are reported to have died following an outbreak of Yellow Fever in the West Gonja district in the Northern Region.

So far 12 cases of the disease have been reported in the district, a statement issued by the Ministry of Health in Accra has said.

The statement, signed by the Head of Public Relations Unit of the ministry, Tony Goodman, also confirmed the outbreak of meningitis in the Tain district in the Brong Ahafo Region.

It said “as at January 6,  2016, 30 suspected cases with seven deaths have been recorded of the meningitis in the district, while a total of 12 cases of Yellow Fever have been reported out of which three have so far died since the end of 2015”.

“Typically with this kind of meningitis, fatality is high but potential for massive spread is low,” the statement added.

It, however, indicated that, “this is not Epidemic Meningococcal Disease or CSM, which is caused by Neisseria meningitides, which has potential for massive and widespread outbreaks”.

 Yellow Fever

Yellow fever is “an acute febrile illness that presents with fever and jaundice (yellowish discolouration of the eyes), muscle pain with prominent backache, and headache”.

It may be associated with bleeding tendencies and the disease is transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes (Aedes mosquitoes).

Symptoms appear after an incubation period of three to six days following the bite of the mosquitoes. Most patients improve and their symptoms resolve after three  to four days.

However, about 15 per cent of patients enter a second and more toxic phase within 24 hours of the initial remission. High fever returns and is accompanied by severe multisystem illness, the statement further indicated.

 Meningitis

Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meninges) and its causes include bacterial, viral, parasites and even chemical.

Bacterial meningitis is caused by various bacterial pathogens. Neisseria meningitides, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemphilus influenza type B represents the triad responsible for over 80 per cent of all cases of bacterial meningitis

Signs and symptoms of meningitis include sudden onset of severe headache, fever, vomiting, neck stiffness and photophobia (dislike for light). Other symptoms include lethargy, coma and convulsions. In babies, there may be bulging of the anterior fontanelle (soft part of the head).

 Commendation

The Ministry of Health commended the regions and districts where the cases had been reported, describing their responses so far as “appropriate and adequate and we expect these response actions to contain and halt the outbreak”.

“We wish to indicate that the Ministry of Health is doing everything possible to contain the situation and we count on the support and cooperation of all,” the statement assured the public.

- See more at: http://graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/55973-yellow-fever-meningitis-claim-10-lives.html#sthash.aKN1MWjo.dpuf

ACCRA, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- An outbreak of yellow fever has killed three people in the West Gonja District of Ghana's Northern Region, health authorities announced on Friday.

Twelve more people are said to be suffering from the disease in the area, some 657 km north of the national capital.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is making efforts to contain the disease, according to a statement signed by Tony Goodman, Public Relations Officer of the ministry.

"It is worthy of note that the response of the regions and districts so far are appropriate and adequate and we expect these response actions to contain and halt the outbreak," he said in the statement.

Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes.

It can kill up to 50 percent of victims if adequate treatment is not administered.

There are an estimated 200,000 cases of yellow fever, causing 30,000 deaths worldwide each year, with 90 percent occurring in Africa.

Symptoms of the disease include fever, jaundice, muscle pain with prominent backache, and headache.

Vaccination is the most important preventive measure against the disease.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-01/09/c_134992064.htm

India's First Travel Health Clinic offers Vaccination at your home or office

Yellow Fever Vaccination at Home across India

A unique concept pioneered by TravelSafe Clinics, India
Remember the time when you were sick as a child and grandpa would call home your 'Doctor Uncle'? He would stand beside your bed, check your temperature, do a quick examination and then prescribe some medicines after reassuring your parents and explaining what was wrong with you. He always had a special place in your heart.
Times have changed, but we know the feeling. So at TravelSafe Clinics, we now offer home visits or house-calls for vaccinations, just like your 'family doctor' did couple of decades back. 
Depending on your requirements, our trained medical assistants can provide you the necessary vaccinations in the comfort of your home or office, after you have interacted with our panel of doctors. 
This service is especially tailored for the elderly, those who are immobile and cannot visit a clinic/hospital and for those who are having difficulty taking the time out of their busy schedule to visit a doctor's clinic for their relevant vaccinations.

The charges for the home visit will be as following :
Convenience Charge (in Rupees) : Distance from Chandigarh in kms multiplied by 10 

This will be added to the cost of the Yellow fever vaccination, and will remain same irrespective of the number of people getting vaccinated at a single location.
For distances above 1,000 kms, please call/SMS us at +918010777722 or email mohali@travelsafeclinic.com for custom schedule and charges.

For example, let us say 3 people want to get vaccinated at Amritsar, and cannot come to our clinic. The total charges would be as follows - 
Distance from Chandigarh to Amritsar = 230 kms (Source Google Search) 
Convenience Charge  is 233 * 10 = 2300 Rs
Plus Cost Of Yellow Fever Vaccination at current price (valid as per Jan 2016) : 2900 * 3 people = 8700
TOTAL : 8700+2300 = 11,000 /- only

Please remember that Yellow Fever Vaccination needs to be taken at least 10 days before the date of International Travel, and it remains valid for 10 years.
100 % advance charges would be deposited in the Bank Account of Dr Gaurav Gupta, and the details of the Passport would need to be sent across by email so that the WHO International Certificate of Vaccination can be generated for the persons.

This vaccination service is offered at the sole discretion of TravelSafe Clinics, and on a best effort basis only.
Cold Chain is maintained by using Industry Standard Ice Boxes specifically designed for vaccines.
We follow standards suggested by the National Vaccine Advisory Committee, USA for vaccinations. Read the details here
Vaccines at non traditional sites have been shown to be safe and effective in improving coverage as shown in studies here  and here and is strongly recommended by the Community Guide, USA Government as well.