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health
& wellness
no
mad cows … but foot-and-mouth...
in the Middle East
Some cases of foot-and-mouth disease
were reported in the Middle East region in
2001, although not harmful to humans,
it is a very contagious virus that
causes blisters and fever in animals,
as they become unproductive and sick.
Foot-and-mouth spread to France from Britain
the site of the most recent outbreak. Nine
sheep were destroyed in Italy at a farm
southeast of Rome. In Argentina an
outbreak was reported in Buenos Aires.
Approximately 90 countries, including the USA,
banned the import of animals and their
products from Europe.
In the Middle East region, according to
UPI; Saudi Arabia, in a government
statement reported two cases of the disease in
the northwest part of the country. It also set
up a high level committee to deal with the
potential spread of the disease. The official
Saudi Press Agency said Riyadh had temporarily
banned the import of meat from either sheep or
cows, from Iran, India and Taiwan,
named in a recent WHO report as possibly
having foot-and-mouth disease. The United
Arab Emirates reported eight cases, which
it said was limited.
Reference
·
Foot
and Mouth Disease Map Outbreak in 2001
·
Foot
and Mouth Disease Map Outbreak in 2000
·
Country
List Free of Foot and Mouth Disease
·
Foot
and Mouth Disease Outbreaks in 1999 in the
Middle East
·
Foot-and-Mouth
Spreads
·
British
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
foot-and-mouth page
·
USDA's
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
·
Foot
and Mouth Disease Situation in Argentina
Hajj :
Health & Vaccination Requirements
SUMMARY
of the requirements as it applies to the
individual, for FULL details see the Reference
"Center for Disease Prevention and
Control"
I. YELLOW FEVER:
A.
All travelers arriving from countries known to
be infected with yellow fever (as shown in the
World
Health Organization [WHO] Weekly
Epidemiological Record and in the
biweekly Summary
of Health Information for International Travel
[the “Blue
Sheet”] document
#220022) must present a valid yellow
fever vaccination certificate in
accordance with the International Health
Regulations. In the absence of such a
certificate, the person will be vaccinated
upon arrival and placed under strict
surveillance for 6 days from the day of
vaccination or the last date of potential
exposure to infection—whichever
is earlier.
II. MENINGOCOCCAL MENINGITIS:
A.
For all arrivals. Visitors from all over
the world arriving for the purpose of “Umra”
or pilgrimage or for seasonal work are
requested to produce a certificate of
vaccination against meningitis
issued not more than 3 years and not less than
10 days before arrival in Saudi Arabia. The
responsible authorities in the country from
where the visitor comes must ensure that
vaccination has been carried out as follows:
Adults
and children over the age of 2 years
must be given one dose of the A/C vaccine.
Children between 3 months and 2 years of age
must be given two doses of the A vaccine with
a 3-month interval between the two doses.
B. Arrivals from countries in the
African meningitis belt (see
map). It must be ensured that
all visitors from these countries have been
vaccinated in their countries, not more than 3
years and not less than 10 days before
arrival. This should be documented on the
vaccination certificate. Visitors from these
countries will be checked at entry points to
ensure that they are vaccinated. Suspect
cases, shall be isolated and preventive
measures will be taken in respect of their
direct contacts. If the authenticity of the
vaccination certificate is felt to be
questionable, revaccination is to be carried
out. Chemo-prophylaxis will be
administered to all visitors from these
countries to lower the carrier rate among
them.
III. EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE:
Tight
control is exercised on entry points in
respect of pilgrims and “Umra”
visitors, and thorough surveillance shall be
made in respect of visitors coming from
countries infected with diseases subject to
the International Health Regulations, in
addition to isolation of suspect cases and
surveillance of their contacts.
IV. FOODS:
Foods carried by visitors and pilgrims are
banned and not allowed into the country.
Reference
·Saudi
Arabia Hajj Requirements: Center for Disease
Control & Prevention
Cellular
Phones don't cause Brain Cancer...?
The safety
of cellular phones in terms of the electromagnetic
radiation
they emit, as being a cause of brain
cancer, has been a question in the public mind
for a while.
In a study in the Journal of the
American medical Association (JAMA),
looking at patients with brain cancer compared
to people (controls) without brain cancer. In
terms of the duration
of use of the cell phones, there was no
association. In terms of the location
of the brain cancer, in relation to the side of
the head where the cell phone was used, brain
tumors occurred more
frequently on the same side of the head where
cell phones had been used.
The conclusion
was that there is no
association between brain cancer and cellular
phone use, but further studies are needed
especially as it relates to slower
growing brain tumors.
Reference
· Muskat JE et al.: JAMA 2000 Dec 20;284(23):3001-7
· Cellular
Phone Antennas (Base Stations) and Human Health
Influenza
in the Middle East, Germany & Belgium
in October to December, 2000
Belgium
(25 November 2000). Sporadic
cases of influenza
A and B have
been reported since the last week of October.
Germany
(2 December 2000). Another
case of influenza A(H1N1)
was confirmed in
Berlin,
the second influenza
virus identified
for this season.
Iran Islamic Republic (8 December 2000). Since the third
week of November, local outbreaks of influenza
have been reported,
primarily among school children. The first
virus isolate was of
subtype A(H1N1).
Israel
(2 December 2000). An additional 2 cases of
influenza A
were diagnosed, one of
which was a 1-year-old child
hospitalized for respiratory infection. The viruses
were identified to be of
subtype A(H1N1).
Reference
· WHO:
Epidemiologic Record: 15 Dec, 2000 Vol 75, 50
(pp409-416)
Fever
in Yemen
In September & October 2000, Rift Valley fever
(RVF) was reported in Yemen
& Saudi Arabia.
In humans the disease manifests as an acute fever,
headaches, hemorrhagic disease, jaundice,
retinitis,
and unexplained neurological disease (encephalitis).
Rift Valley fever is caused by a virus
first described in Kenya
in 1930s, a similar outbreak occurred in Egypt in 1970’s.
The disease may have been transmitted through
infected animals from Africa.
Control of the disease
involves education
of the population to avoid handling infected animals
and tissues, insect control
such as mosquitoes, and correct
treatment of patients in health facilities.
Reference
· WHO: Epidemiologic
Record: 1 Dec 2000, Vol 75, 48 (pp 385-396)
edited
by T. Farhat, MD - 2001
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