Rift Valley Fever (RVF) in South Africa

A warning for travellers to South Africa, perhaps to see the World Cup:

As of 10 May, the Government of South Africa has reported 186 confirmed cases of RVF in humans, including 18 deaths, in Free State Province, Eastern Cape Province, Northern Cape Province, Western Cape, and North West Province. RVF is a viral disease that primarily affects animals (such as cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats and camels). The disease can also affect humans. The main mode of transmission of RVF is via direct or indirect contact with the blood or organs of infected animals. Human infections have also resulted from the bites of infected mosquitoes. There is evidence that humans may become infected by ingesting the unpasteurized or uncooked milk of infected animals.

WHO advises no international travel restriction to or from South Africa. However, WHO recommends that visitors to South Africa, especially those intending to visit farms and/or game reserves, avoid coming into contact with animal tissues or blood, avoid drinking unpasteurized or uncooked milk or eating raw meat.

All travelers should take appropriate precautions against bites from mosquitoes and other blood-sucking insects (including the use of insect repellents, wearing long-sleeved shirts and trousers, and sleeping under mosquito nets).

World Hepatitis Day

World Hepatitis Day (12/5/10) passed me by last week as I was on holiday but I see the banners are still up promoting it. 1 in 12 people globally are living with chronic hepatitis B or C and as there is potential for treatment (as well as arisk of passing it on to others) it is worth finding out if you are infected. HepatitisWA has useful information on all aspects of these diseases.

Heart Week

This week is "Heart Week" run by the Heart Foundation. Their push this year is to get people to be aware of what the symptoms of a heart attack are and to act promptly. http://www.heartattackfacts.org.au/Home.aspx
This is obviously important but, from a GP perspective, prevention is better than cure. By and large heart disease is caused by a combination of any or all of the following: Genetics, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Smoking, Diabetes & being overweight. You can't do anything about your genes but all the rest are what we call modifiable risk factors (Diabetes can't be cured but control can be optimized) and are best addressed sooner rather than later. For an assessment of your heart disease risk why don't you jump on your bike and pedal down to see your friendly local GP!

Polio in Europe

Polio has been confirmed in an outbreak of paralysis in Tajikistan where 120 children have been effected, 10 of whom have died. This is the first outbreak of Polio since Europe was classified as Polio-free in 2002. Polio is included in the standard childhood Australian Vaccination Schedule but a booster is recommended for travellers to endemic areas including the Indian Subcontintent and Nigeria.