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Bomb Explosions Kill Six in Colombian Port City; Recent Bird Flu Cases Show Resistance to Tamiflu

23 January 2007

Philadelphia

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.

January 21, 2007-Colombia - Bomb Explosions Kill Six in Port City

At least six people were killed and several others were injured in bomb explosions in the southwestern port city of Buenaventura on January 21. Reports indicate that two police officers and four civilians were killed in the explosions, which targeted a police patrol. Although no group has claimed responsibility for the incident, police suspect that Revolutionary Armed Force of Colombia (FARC) rebels carried out the attack, possibly in retaliation to ongoing police counter-narcotic operations.

The FARC remains the most potent and active insurgent group in the country, despite aggressive and effective counter-insurgency operations by the Colombian military. The FARC continues to operate and carry out attacks, particularly in rural areas. Further confrontations between FARC members and security forces remain likely, and additional bombing attacks in both rural and urban areas remain possible.

Individuals traveling to Colombia are advised to exercise extreme vigilance and to maintain a low profile when traveling throughout Colombia. All foreign and expatriate travelers are possible targets throughout Colombia for acts of terrorism and kidnapping. For more information on travel to Colombia, please contact your nearest International SOS alarm center.

January 18, 2007- Egypt- Recent Bird Flu Cases Show Resistance to Tamiflu®

The World Health Organization (WHO) said today that two of Egypt's recent flu fatalities had an H5N1 virus that showed some resistance to the antiviral drug oseltamivir (brand name Tamiflu®). The strain, which has shown "moderate" drugs resistance, is called 294S and was first discovered in a teenage girl in Vietnam in 2005. It was detected in Egypt in a 26-year-old factory worker and his teenage niece. These two, as well as a third family member, died in Gharbia province in December. They were given the drug later on in their infections. It is unknown if the two contracted this strain from a bird, from each other, or if the strain developed in each person during treatment. The virus was susceptible to the other antiviral drugs zanamir (brand name Relenza ®) and amantadine.

This is the first time 294S has been detected outside of Asia. Many governments worldwide have been stockpiling oseltamivir, which is considered the drug most likely to help reduce infections in a flu pandemic. WHO will not change their recommendations regarding the drug in light of these two cases and say there are no "broad public health implications" to this discovery.  The information available to date indicates that the avian influenza virus has not yet acquired the ability to pass easily from person to person. For more information about Avian Flu, please contact your nearest International SOS alarm center.

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