Australia and New Zealand have seen high levels of flu this year and this is likely to be reflected in the number of flu cases experienced in the UK this winter. So, if the number flu cases have doubled in Australasia this year compared with the average for the past 5 years, this could be [...]
General advice is to avoid contact with animals, wild or domesticated whilst on holiday or travelling, especially dogs. Rabies is one of the most lethal infectious diseases. Once symptoms appear it is almost always fatal. 60,000 people die each year mainly in Africa and Asia due to lack of treatment availability. Rabies is carried by [...]
Summer is here so whether you chose a staycation or travel abroad, beware of and learn more about Ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The following are bite size guides and we suggest you investigate more yourselves where necessary. The image attached to this blog demonstrates how the sun affected the left hand side of a long distance [...]
On 15 May 2017, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare-Government of India reported three cases of Zika virus disease in Bapunagar area, Ahmedabad District, Gujarat State, India. Zika virus is primarily transmitted to people through the bite of an infected mosquito, mainly Aedes aegypti in tropical regions. Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day, [...]
There are multiple reports in the media of recent human exposures to rabies in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York North Carolina and South Carolina. On these occasions, people have handled or been bitten by variously: bats, a dog, foxes, a raccoon, a sheep and a skunk, all of [...]
Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, called varicella-zoster. In fact, you can only get Shingles if you’ve had chickenpox. That’s because when chickenpox heals, the virus that caused it remains in your body. It lies dormant (asleep) in your nervous system, but can reactivate (awaken) at any time. It’s your immune system’s [...]
200 million people are affected by malaria each year worldwide. Currently there is no effective vaccine licensed for the prevention of malaria. Although several effective strategies are in place to prevent infection. Malaria is a serious and life threatening disease. In the UK (2015) 81% of malaria cases were from VFR i.e. those visiting friends [...]
Avian Flu 2017 Update There have been no new human cases of avian influenza A(H5N1) reported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2017. From 2011 to 2015, 32 to 145 confirmed human cases of avian influenza A(H5N1) were reported to WHO annually. In 2016, there were 10 cases in Egypt. Governments remain vigilant and [...]
Chikungunya (pronunciation: chik-en-gun-ye) virus is transmitted to people by mosquitoes. Outbreaks have occurred in countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Indian and Pacific Oceans the Americas on islands in the Caribbean. Recently outbreaks have included Pakistan, Bolivia and Paraquay. The most common symptoms of chikungunya virus infection are fever and joint pain. Other symptoms [...]
Public Health England has made an important announcement. As well as providing protection against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and Hib, babies will also be given protection against hepatitis B virus. The planned change only involves the type of vaccine used. There is no change to the immunisation schedule and the current planning assumption is [...]
