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Latest News
- Risks and illnesses
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- Category: Risks and illnesses
- Published: Wednesday, 12 August 2015 11:45
- Written by Administrator Travelvax
By Dr Eddy Bajrovic*
He’s in a sharp suit, reclining in a leather seat, with laptop open as the smiling flight attendant serves a scotch and soda…
Who could have too much of that? Surely, a jet-setting lifestyle filled with new faces in new places is the stuff of dreams – whether it’s clinching a business deal or rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous in the world’s iconic destinations.
At least, that’s the image of frequent flyers depicted in TV ads and glossy in-flight and travel magazines.
But, there is a dark side to this so-called ‘hypermobility’: One the media ignores and the rest of us don’t see, according to Dr Scott Cohen, from the University of Surrey in England. Dr Cohen headed a team of British and Swedish researchers who investigated how frequent long-distance travel is represented in mass and social media – and the actual reality.
They found that the glamourous images skip over a raft of potentially damaging side effects ranging from jet-lag, to deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and excessive (atmospheric) radiation exposure. Not to mention the stress and loneliness that can come from frequently being far from family and friends.
- Details
- Category: Risks and illnesses
- Published: Wednesday, 29 July 2015 12:26
- Written by Administrator Travelvax
By Dr Eddy Bajrovic*
Mosquirix is the world’s first malaria vaccine. Sadly, it’s not the complete solution we’ve been hoping for.
The new vaccine won’t benefit international travellers. Those at risk will have to continue to take anti-malaria medication and use bite-prevention measures to avoid the potentially fatal disease.
Instead, Mosquirix – a combination malaria-Hepatitis B vaccine – will mainly be used to protect young children in the worst-affected areas of Africa.
Developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, the 3-dose vaccine was found to be effective against falciparum malaria in just 31% of the children aged 6 to 12 weeks who received it, rising to 56% in older children aged 5 to 17 months.
In addition, Mosquirix’s malaria protection wanes after one year, although a fourth dose given as a booster extends its longevity.
- Details
- Category: Risks and illnesses
- Published: Wednesday, 15 July 2015 13:06
- Written by Administrator Travelvax
By Laurie Sullivan
There are guidelines for travellers with obvious special needs: pregnant women, unaccompanied children, passengers in wheelchairs, and those needing oxygen.
However, there’s a glaring gap when it comes to the growing number of passengers with a less obvious condition – dementia.
Yet guidelines are needed urgently, according to the woman who is championing the cause.
“The effects of dementia can range from mild to severe, but it isn’t always easy to recognise,” dementia researcher, Dr Maria O'Reilly, said.
“Anecdotally, we know people with dementia have died while travelling. One woman who was unaccompanied on a flight to the USA simply walked out of the airport after she wasn’t collected only to be found dead several days later.
“There have also been incidents on cruise ships. Recently, a woman with dementia and her husband were put ashore at a port-of-call during a cruise because of disruptive behaviour.”
- Details
- Category: Risks and illnesses
- Published: Wednesday, 08 July 2015 11:29
- Written by Administrator Travelvax
By Dr Eddy Bajrovic*
Some of the most popular overseas holiday destinations with Australian travellers have made the list of Top 10 dengue fever countries.
Compiled for the first time from maps showing global vulnerability to dengue, the 10 countries with the highest incidence include:
1. Brazil
2. Indonesia
3. Vietnam
4. Mexico
5. Venezuela
6. Thailand
7. Philippines
8. Colombia
9. Malaysia
10. Honduras
The dengue maps were developed by the United Nations University’s Institute for Water, Environment and Health in Canada to illustrate the dynamic seasonal expansion and contraction in rates at four times during the year – January, April, July, and October.
While dengue is not yet firmly entrenched in every vulnerable region, the maps show where it could become a consistent danger, including Australia’s north.
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- Category: Risks and illnesses
- Published: Wednesday, 20 May 2015 11:10
- Written by Administrator Travelvax
by Dr Eddy Bajrovic*
When it comes to travel-related diseases, hepatitis A heads the list of vaccine-preventable food and water-related risks for Australians visiting developing countries.
Why number one? Because, besides consuming contaminated food and water, the virus can literally be picked up from just about anything a local Hep A carrier may have handled. And, in developing regions such as Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and Central or South America, virtually every single local person gets Hep A in childhood, making infection a risk for even short-stay visitors.
But, what about typhoid, the other main vaccine-preventable disease spread by contaminated food and water?
In pre-travel medicals it’s frequently dropped from the list of vaccinations because historically it’s been perceived to be a lower risk than Hep A for short-stay travellers. And, doctor and traveller alike are keen to limit vaccinations to just ‘the essentials’.
But, it’s time to rethink typhoid immunisation following news that a drug-resistant strain of the bacterial disease is responsible for a previously undetected epidemic, which has spread from eastern and southern Africa into Southeast and Western Asia – even as far as Fiji in the Pacific. A large-scale genomic study1 by scientists from 24 countries found that typhoid’s H58 lineage, which is resistant to multiple drugs, has replaced antibiotic-sensitive isolates in many regions of the world.
- Details
- Category: Risks and illnesses
- Published: Wednesday, 08 April 2015 12:14
- Written by Administrator Travelvax
by Laurie Sullivan
Cases of Ross River fever are at a 20-year high in some of Australia’s most popular East Coast holiday destinations.
State health authorities and medical experts have urged local residents and travellers visiting destinations between NSW’s Hunter region and Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in coming weeks to protect themselves against the debilitating mosquito-borne disease.
Almost 5000 cases have already been recorded across 2 main areas this year:
South-East Queensland, including Brisbane (1900 cases) and the iconic Gold Coast (481) and Sunshine Coast (294) regions, have been hardest hit. Cairns, already battling a dengue outbreak, has recorded 193 cases, according to Queensland Health data.
NSW’s North Coast, which takes in major destinations such as Byron Bay, Ballina, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie and Forster, has seen the bulk of the state’s 898 cases – already well above the 12-month average of 591. Infections have also been confirmed in an around Sydney and Newcastle.
But, these lab-confirmed cases are the tip of the iceberg: Some people have no symptoms and those with mild symptoms mistake the illness for flu and don’t see their doctor to confirm its cause. NSW Health has also warned that less common – but potentially more serious – mosquito-borne diseases such as Kunjin and Murray Valley encephalitis could also emerge.
