Showing posts with label Travel Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel Health. Show all posts
Typhoid cases have increased by 69 per cent in recent years, fuelled by more people travelling to exotic locations, doctors have warned.
The figures, issued by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), show that 248 typhoid cases were reported in England and Wales in 2006, up from just 147 in 2002.
Caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, the disease can be life-threatening unless patients receive prompt treatment with antibiotics.
The new figures have raised concerns about the number of people obtaining travel vaccinations and health experts are now attempting to raise the profile of immunisation through the Valuing Vaccines campaign.
Dr Jane Zuckerman, director of the Centre for Travel Medicine at London's Royal Free Hospital, told the BBC that the level of public ignorance was 'extremely worrying'.
'We have seen vaccine-preventable diseases like typhoid on the increase because people travel abroad to endemic areas without being vaccinated and return sick to the UK,' she explained.
The figures, issued by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), show that 248 typhoid cases were reported in England and Wales in 2006, up from just 147 in 2002.
Caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, the disease can be life-threatening unless patients receive prompt treatment with antibiotics.
The new figures have raised concerns about the number of people obtaining travel vaccinations and health experts are now attempting to raise the profile of immunisation through the Valuing Vaccines campaign.
Dr Jane Zuckerman, director of the Centre for Travel Medicine at London's Royal Free Hospital, told the BBC that the level of public ignorance was 'extremely worrying'.
'We have seen vaccine-preventable diseases like typhoid on the increase because people travel abroad to endemic areas without being vaccinated and return sick to the UK,' she explained.
Labels: Travel Health
Travellers heading to developing countries should research disease outbreaks in their chosen destination and take appropriate travel medicine, a senior nurse has warned.
Ideally, she commented, medical advice should be sought at least six to eight weeks prior to travel, but if people have less time a visit to a clinic is still advised.
According to Lynda Bramham, senior nurse advisor at the Medical Advisory Services for Travellers Abroad (Masta), people intending to live or work with local populations in developing countries for three months or more should have a TB vaccine.
'The BCG vaccine for TB can take around eight weeks to be effective and it has to be planned in carefully around other travel vaccines,' she said.
'No other vaccines should be given in the same arm for the following three months, for example.'
She also advised people to take a first aid pack with them containing such things as painkillers, antiseptic sprays, plasters, insect repellent and travel sickness medication.
Masta provides travel health advice to the public through its online Health Brief and via its network of UK travel clinics.
Ideally, she commented, medical advice should be sought at least six to eight weeks prior to travel, but if people have less time a visit to a clinic is still advised.
According to Lynda Bramham, senior nurse advisor at the Medical Advisory Services for Travellers Abroad (Masta), people intending to live or work with local populations in developing countries for three months or more should have a TB vaccine.
'The BCG vaccine for TB can take around eight weeks to be effective and it has to be planned in carefully around other travel vaccines,' she said.
'No other vaccines should be given in the same arm for the following three months, for example.'
She also advised people to take a first aid pack with them containing such things as painkillers, antiseptic sprays, plasters, insect repellent and travel sickness medication.
Masta provides travel health advice to the public through its online Health Brief and via its network of UK travel clinics.
Labels: Travel Health
A consultant plastic surgeon has warned of the dangers associated with seeking surgery overseas, including the heightened risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
According to Rajiv Grover, a council member of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps), seeking cosmetic surgery abroad is 'never recommended', partly because the inherent risk of DVT is increased by the subsequent flight home.
Mr Grover explained: 'The risks you would incur…with a lot of operations is the increased risk factor afterwards by developing deep vein thrombosis.'
The surgeon revealed that breast reductions, breast uplifts and tummy tucks are all operations that carry a significant risk of DVT, even if there is no travel involved.
'After surgery you could be coming back on a long aeroplane flight and you would increase your risk of getting [DVT] many times over,' he revealed.
The expert also pointed out that the last thing you will feel like after having surgery is a foreign holiday.
'[Companies] are trying to make cosmetic surgery holidays sound far more seductive than they are,' he concluded.
According to Rajiv Grover, a council member of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps), seeking cosmetic surgery abroad is 'never recommended', partly because the inherent risk of DVT is increased by the subsequent flight home.
Mr Grover explained: 'The risks you would incur…with a lot of operations is the increased risk factor afterwards by developing deep vein thrombosis.'
The surgeon revealed that breast reductions, breast uplifts and tummy tucks are all operations that carry a significant risk of DVT, even if there is no travel involved.
'After surgery you could be coming back on a long aeroplane flight and you would increase your risk of getting [DVT] many times over,' he revealed.
The expert also pointed out that the last thing you will feel like after having surgery is a foreign holiday.
'[Companies] are trying to make cosmetic surgery holidays sound far more seductive than they are,' he concluded.
Labels: Travel Health
Students planning on taking a gap year have been warned not to forget about budgeting for vaccinations when financing their trip.
Travel expert Jane Owen wrote in the Times that many gap year students, or gappers, are wrong in not wanting to 'waste' the money they've raised on getting injections, when there are other things to buy.
However Ms Owen states: 'Virtually all gappers will visit areas where malaria and dengue fever is endemic and diseases like Yellow fever, cholera and hepatitis lurk. Almost all are potential killers.'
She goes on to say that the health of gappers must be the most important thing throughout their travels and they must have knowledge of the local healthcare system.
According to the Guardian, figures from 2005 show that almost 200,000 18 to 25-year-olds take time out to work and study abroad each year.
Travel expert Jane Owen wrote in the Times that many gap year students, or gappers, are wrong in not wanting to 'waste' the money they've raised on getting injections, when there are other things to buy.
However Ms Owen states: 'Virtually all gappers will visit areas where malaria and dengue fever is endemic and diseases like Yellow fever, cholera and hepatitis lurk. Almost all are potential killers.'
She goes on to say that the health of gappers must be the most important thing throughout their travels and they must have knowledge of the local healthcare system.
According to the Guardian, figures from 2005 show that almost 200,000 18 to 25-year-olds take time out to work and study abroad each year.
Labels: Travel Health
Consumer watchdog Which? has warned of the possible dangers of undergoing medical treatment abroad after finding that nearly one fifth of medical tourists have experienced problems.
A Which? survey revealed that just 57 per cent were satisfied with their treatment and the watchdog is urging consumers to check doctors' qualifications before travelling.
Eighteen per cent of respondents had experienced problems and researchers found that medical tourism companies were not providing sound advice to potential patients.
For example, one company told a researcher posing as a patient that knee replacement surgery was not risky and that he would not require any follow-up treatment back in the UK, despite the fact that half of patients need physiotherapy.
'Medical tourists must do their homework before jumping on the plane - and avoid rushing back too quickly - if they want to avoid potential problems,' said Neil Fowler, editor of Which?
'Ask the right questions beforehand, speak to UK health professionals, and don't assume you'll have a safety net if things don't go according to plan,' he advised.
A Which? survey revealed that just 57 per cent were satisfied with their treatment and the watchdog is urging consumers to check doctors' qualifications before travelling.
Eighteen per cent of respondents had experienced problems and researchers found that medical tourism companies were not providing sound advice to potential patients.
For example, one company told a researcher posing as a patient that knee replacement surgery was not risky and that he would not require any follow-up treatment back in the UK, despite the fact that half of patients need physiotherapy.
'Medical tourists must do their homework before jumping on the plane - and avoid rushing back too quickly - if they want to avoid potential problems,' said Neil Fowler, editor of Which?
'Ask the right questions beforehand, speak to UK health professionals, and don't assume you'll have a safety net if things don't go according to plan,' he advised.
Labels: Travel Health
Football fans travelling to Switzerland and Austria this summer for Euro 2008 could be at risk of measles, health experts have warned.
Officials from the vaccine surveillance network Euvac.net say there have been significant outbreaks of the viral illness in the two countries.
Last year week the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said there has been an upsurge in measles cases across Europe.
More than 1,300 cases were reported in Europe in January to March this year, compared to less than 800 in the same period last year.
A risk assessment of the situation in Austria in light of the upcoming football tournament is now being carried out by experts from ECDC and Euvac.net.
They say the importance of being vaccinated against measles must be conveyed to all people.
"Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in existence, causing serious illness and even death," said ECDC director Zsuzsanna Jakab.
"If unvaccinated people are exposed to it they have a high chance of being infected. Significant outbreaks have occurred recently in several European countries, so the risk to the millions of unvaccinated Europeans is real.
"The public health community needs to speak out about the benefits of vaccination – and the dangers of being unvaccinated."
Officials from the vaccine surveillance network Euvac.net say there have been significant outbreaks of the viral illness in the two countries.
Last year week the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said there has been an upsurge in measles cases across Europe.
More than 1,300 cases were reported in Europe in January to March this year, compared to less than 800 in the same period last year.
A risk assessment of the situation in Austria in light of the upcoming football tournament is now being carried out by experts from ECDC and Euvac.net.
They say the importance of being vaccinated against measles must be conveyed to all people.
"Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in existence, causing serious illness and even death," said ECDC director Zsuzsanna Jakab.
"If unvaccinated people are exposed to it they have a high chance of being infected. Significant outbreaks have occurred recently in several European countries, so the risk to the millions of unvaccinated Europeans is real.
"The public health community needs to speak out about the benefits of vaccination – and the dangers of being unvaccinated."
Labels: Travel Health
Drug company Novartis has announced a 20 per cent average reduction in the price of its malaria drug Coartem to help access to treatment in the world's poorest regions.
Malaria is the biggest killer of children in Africa and affects 300 to 500 million people every year.
The reduced price of Coartem, which produces cure rates up to 95 per cent, will come into effect this Friday during World Malaria Day.
Novartis says the reduction will increase access to the drug for millions of malaria patients, especially children in low income regions of Africa.
"We are pleased that Novartis is able to significantly reduce the price of Coartem which will further improve access to Coartem for patients in developing countries, helping to save even more lives," said Novartis chairman Dr Daniel Vasella.
"To date our ability to reliably supply significant quantities of our medicines has helped us save approximately 450,000 lives."
Novartis provides Coartem to the public sector without profit.
Since 2001, the company has supplied more than 160 million treatments to malaria-endemic countries.
Malaria is the biggest killer of children in Africa and affects 300 to 500 million people every year.
The reduced price of Coartem, which produces cure rates up to 95 per cent, will come into effect this Friday during World Malaria Day.
Novartis says the reduction will increase access to the drug for millions of malaria patients, especially children in low income regions of Africa.
"We are pleased that Novartis is able to significantly reduce the price of Coartem which will further improve access to Coartem for patients in developing countries, helping to save even more lives," said Novartis chairman Dr Daniel Vasella.
"To date our ability to reliably supply significant quantities of our medicines has helped us save approximately 450,000 lives."
Novartis provides Coartem to the public sector without profit.
Since 2001, the company has supplied more than 160 million treatments to malaria-endemic countries.
Labels: Travel Health
Despite a fall in the number of cases of UK travellers contracting malaria last year health experts are warning that risk of the disease is still high.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is today advising people planning on visiting exotic destinations this year to ensure they seek medical advice before they travel.
Malaria is a potentially life-threatening disease and affects 300 to 500 million people every year.
Figures released by the HPA today show that there were 1,548 cases of malaria reported among UK travellers in 2007. Five of these cases were fatal.
This represents a 12 per cent fall in the number of cases reported for 2006 by this time year (1,758).
Over seven in ten of last year's cases were in travellers from the UK who were visiting friends and relatives abroad.
Professor Peter Chiodini, head of the HPA's Malaria Reference Laboratory, said: "It seems likely that travellers visiting friends and relatives are either not seeking or unable to access good medical advice on preventing malaria before they travel, or they don't perceive their risk to be as great as the holidaying public.
"The common misconception that people born in malaria-affected countries but now living in the UK continue to have a natural immunity to malaria is very dangerous."
He added that "really important that anyone travelling to an area where malaria is a risk seeks medical advice before their trip".
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is today advising people planning on visiting exotic destinations this year to ensure they seek medical advice before they travel.
Malaria is a potentially life-threatening disease and affects 300 to 500 million people every year.
Figures released by the HPA today show that there were 1,548 cases of malaria reported among UK travellers in 2007. Five of these cases were fatal.
This represents a 12 per cent fall in the number of cases reported for 2006 by this time year (1,758).
Over seven in ten of last year's cases were in travellers from the UK who were visiting friends and relatives abroad.
Professor Peter Chiodini, head of the HPA's Malaria Reference Laboratory, said: "It seems likely that travellers visiting friends and relatives are either not seeking or unable to access good medical advice on preventing malaria before they travel, or they don't perceive their risk to be as great as the holidaying public.
"The common misconception that people born in malaria-affected countries but now living in the UK continue to have a natural immunity to malaria is very dangerous."
He added that "really important that anyone travelling to an area where malaria is a risk seeks medical advice before their trip".
Labels: Travel Health
Overseas travellers may be able to reduce the risk of diarrhoea by taking a vaccine in the form of a patch, scientists have revealed.
The patch can be worn on the skin, enabling the vaccine to penetrate the skin and combat travellers' diarrhoea.
Researchers at the University of Texas School of Public Health found that it greatly reduced the severity of diarrhoea, with only one out of 59 volunteers reporting severe diarrhoea compared with 12 out of 111 who received a placebo.
Diarrhoea also lasted for only half a day on average in vaccinated patients, in contrast to those in the placebo group, who typically experienced diarrhoea for two days.
The study appears in the latest issue of the Lancet medical journal and principal investigator Professor Herbert DuPont said that the patch could 'fundamentally change the way we approach prevention of this disease'.
The expert, who is professor and director of the Centre for Infectious Diseases at the University of Texas School of Public Health, added that the vaccine may have the potential 'to not only mitigate a disease that sickens millions each year but also keep some patients from going on to develop the chronic symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome'.
The patch can be worn on the skin, enabling the vaccine to penetrate the skin and combat travellers' diarrhoea.
Researchers at the University of Texas School of Public Health found that it greatly reduced the severity of diarrhoea, with only one out of 59 volunteers reporting severe diarrhoea compared with 12 out of 111 who received a placebo.
Diarrhoea also lasted for only half a day on average in vaccinated patients, in contrast to those in the placebo group, who typically experienced diarrhoea for two days.
The study appears in the latest issue of the Lancet medical journal and principal investigator Professor Herbert DuPont said that the patch could 'fundamentally change the way we approach prevention of this disease'.
The expert, who is professor and director of the Centre for Infectious Diseases at the University of Texas School of Public Health, added that the vaccine may have the potential 'to not only mitigate a disease that sickens millions each year but also keep some patients from going on to develop the chronic symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome'.
Labels: Travel Health
Experts have called for healthcare professionals to do more to promote the message of safe sex to overseas travellers, after a report found many sleep with new partners while on holiday.
A study by University College London researchers found that 23 per cent of men and 17 per cent of women between the ages of 16 and 24 have had a new sexual partner while travelling.
The findings, which are published in the British Medical Journal publication Sexually Transmitted Infections, are based on interviews with 12,000 men and women and revealed that one in ten of all men's sexual partners were met overseas.
Britons mainly opt to sleep with British or European sexual partners in the belief that this will minimise their risk of HIV infection, and respondents generally cited North America, Thailand and Kenya as having a high potential HIV risk.
However, the responses indicated little awareness of risks of other sexually transmitted infections.
The researchers noted that a 'substantial minority' of sexually active Britons have new sexual partners while overseas, with twice as many men as women demonstrating this behaviour.
They concluded: 'Consequently, sexual health interventions targeting British travellers, especially the young and those who have multiple partners at home, should include information on the risk of having sex with compatriots as well as the STI/HIV prevalence in the local population or sex industry of foreign destinations.'
A study by University College London researchers found that 23 per cent of men and 17 per cent of women between the ages of 16 and 24 have had a new sexual partner while travelling.
The findings, which are published in the British Medical Journal publication Sexually Transmitted Infections, are based on interviews with 12,000 men and women and revealed that one in ten of all men's sexual partners were met overseas.
Britons mainly opt to sleep with British or European sexual partners in the belief that this will minimise their risk of HIV infection, and respondents generally cited North America, Thailand and Kenya as having a high potential HIV risk.
However, the responses indicated little awareness of risks of other sexually transmitted infections.
The researchers noted that a 'substantial minority' of sexually active Britons have new sexual partners while overseas, with twice as many men as women demonstrating this behaviour.
They concluded: 'Consequently, sexual health interventions targeting British travellers, especially the young and those who have multiple partners at home, should include information on the risk of having sex with compatriots as well as the STI/HIV prevalence in the local population or sex industry of foreign destinations.'
Labels: Travel Health
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