internationalsos.com - Press releases
Kidnapped Hostages Freed in Nigeria; Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreak in Turkey24 August 2006Philadelphia
International SOS, the world's leading provider of medical and security assistance services, international healthcare, and outsourced customer care, offers travel alerts to members traveling overseas to warn them of security risks or medical problems they may encounter at their destinations or en route. The following is a sample of locations that may represent current security and medical risks for global travelers.
Nigeria - August 24, 2006 - Six Foreign Oil Workers Freed Six foreign oil workers kidnapped in Nigeria on August 13 were freed yesterday. The foreign nationals, hailing from the UK, US, Germany and Ireland, were abducted after an unidentified group of armed militants seized them from a nightclub in the southern city of Port Harcourt in the Niger Delta region. Despite new security measures in the region, oil installations and personnel are likely to remain high priority targets for militant and criminal groups for the foreseeable future. International SOS advises members to defer non-essential travel to Nigeria. Members are advised against all travel to the Niger Delta region, as the situation continues to be uncertain. International flights that usually land in Port Harcourt are now landing in Owerri and Lagos. Members wishing to travel to Port Harcourt are recommended to pre-arrange a "meet and greet" service, as the only way to get there is by road, which is a journey of up to two hours depending on traffic, road, weather and security conditions. Turkey - August 23, 2006 - Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreak During the month of July, 92 new cases of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever were reported in Turkey. Nine of those patients died, including a healthcare worker who was infected while treating patients in the province of Corum. Since the beginning of the year, 242 cases and 24 deaths have been attributed to the disease nationwide. Turkish officials are reluctant to call this an epidemic, since as many as 266 cases occurred last year, but residents are concerned. Rural areas are primarily affected. Six northeastern provinces in the Black Sea and Central Anatolia regions reported most of the new cases: Corum, Gumushane, Amasya, Sivas, Tokat, and Yozagat. The disease was first reported in Turkey in 2003. Most of the nation's cases since then have been in central Anatolia. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever primarily affects a wide range of wild and domestic animals. People can also become infected by being bitten by an infected tick, being exposed to infected animals such as cattle, or having contact with blood or other bodily fluids from an infected person. The first symptoms appear abruptly and include fever, chills, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. After three to five days, hemorrhage (bleeding) begins. Continued bleeding leads to shock, vascular collapse and death about 10 days after the onset of symptoms. If the patient survives, recovery is long and slow. The death rate is about 50 percent. Travelers face a relatively low risk unless they are camping in rural areas. Other higher-risk groups include agricultural workers, healthcare workers and military personnel. As there is no vaccination available, the only way to avoid infection is to prevent tick bites. For more information on preventive measures against the disease, please contact International SOS. Indonesia - August 21, 2006 - Confirmation of Human Avian Flu Cases in West Java At least nine suspected cases of avian flu have been reported and three cases have been confirmed in Cikelet, a remote Indonesian subdistrict. People also died with symptoms of avian flu in July and early August, but were not tested for the disease. Poultry was also dying at that time, and many villagers - unaware of the threat of avian flu - handled and ate sick/dead birds. This appears to be the source of human infections in the area; there is no evidence of human-to-human spread at this time. Residents are cooperating with WHO investigations and door-to-door screening is underway. People who had close contact with a suspected patient, and people with symptoms, are receiving anti-viral drugs. Suspected cases are being tested for the disease. Avian influenza A/H5N1 has caused outbreaks in poultry in an increasing number of countries. At least 22 countries in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa have reported their first cases among birds since the beginning of 2006. For further information, see the International SOS Pandemic Preparedness Website. There, you can access the latest news, detailed information on flu-affected countries and pandemic preparedness planning information. Medical and Security Alerts Members |
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