Recent reporting in the Sunday Times, January 13th 2019, highlights a high profile death and psychiatric issues in another patient. YF vaccination is generally considered safe provided other clinical consideration such as immunosuppression are considered. Deaths are rare. Those aged over 60 have a fourfold increase in risks see below. YF itself can cause an [...]
Deaths from Yellow Fever via Brazil During the first few months of 2018, 19 tourist travellers who recently returned to their home countries from Brazil, developed yellow fever infection. One became ill in transit through the UK and subsequently died in hospital in London. Most of these travellers had spent time in a part [...]
A gentleman, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, contracted the disease after being bitten by cat in Morocco. The victim attended Stoke Mandeville Hospital before being "transferred to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford as the regional referral centre for infectious diseases". Five Britons became infected from rabies between 2000 and 2017 after "animal exposures abroad". According to [...]
Public Health England is encouraging anyone who has been exposed to bats to seek medical advice. Exposure is defined as; Bite Scratch Contact with saliva This follows the finding of a rabid bat in Dorset. The risk is low, but anyone exposed should have a risk assessment completed by a health professional which may lead [...]
DRUG-RESISTANT TYPHOID FEVER IN PAKISTAN An outbreak of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid fever has been reported in Pakistan. During November 2016 an outbreak of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid was reported from the Sindh region of Pakistan, including the cities of Hyderabad and Karachi. As of January 2018, 2,089 confirmed cases are reported, however new cases [...]
Typhoid is found throughout the world, but it's more likely to occur in areas where there's poor sanitation and hygiene. Typhoid fever is caused by a type of bacteria called Salmonella typhi. This isn't the same bacteria that cause salmonella food poisoning, but the two are related. High-risk areas include: the Indian subcontinent Africa [...]
Scientists claim to be close to defeating Malaria by using gene-driven technology to decimate malaria-bearing mosquitos. Female mosquitos transmit malaria and by introducing synthetic genes via male mosquitos reproduction becomes difficult leading to the eradication of the disease. Or so the scientists believe. Some say it may be a lifesaving breakthrough or an arrogant meddling [...]
Summer and the sun is here, so whether you chose staycation or travel abroad beware. Did you know, people are getting less than half the sun protection they expect from suntan lotions, according to research? But the problem isn't the lotion, it's our slapdash application of it, King's College London scientists say. In theory, using [...]
A new Royal Pharmaceutical Society survey shows that 84% of British adults don’t wash their hands for long enough to clean them of the bacteria which can cause infections such as diarrhoea, upset stomachs, whilst at home and certainly not on holiday when we can come across bacteria and viruses not common in the UK [...]
Cases of measles continue to be reported worldwide, with recent outbreaks reported in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Measles epidemics in regions visited by UK travellers can directly contribute to an increase in measles cases in the UK. Measles is a highly infectious illness spread by airborne/droplet transmission. Symptoms include fever, [...]
