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Strike protesting national government decision; Polio cases on the rise

06 October 2006

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.

India - October 4 - Karnataka Strike

A state-wide strike in India's southern state of Karnataka was widely observed today, although there have been no reports of civil disturbance so far. Government and private offices, commercial establishments, markets, and schools were closed across the state, including the state capital, Bangalore. Mass transportation services were suspended.

Thousands of security troops from the state and neighboring Tamil Nadu state were deployed to Karnataka to ensure a peaceful strike.

Karnataka political parties and groups organized the strike to protest a national government decision over a border town that is being disputed by Karnataka and Maharashtra states. The decision is perceived by the Karnataka government to be in favor of Maharashtra. The strike is likely to be an isolated protest action, and is likely to remain internal in nature.

Travel to India may proceed; however, members are advised to exercise security precautions against terrorism. Additionally travelers should be aware that the risk of sectarian violence is higher due to Muslim and Hindi religious festivals occurring until the third week of October. For more information on travel precautions in India, please contact your nearest International SOS alarm center.

India - October 4 – World Health Organization Concerned over Polio Cases

There have been 352 cases of polio in India so far this year, 23 of which were fatal. The nation only reported 66 cases for the whole of 2005. 

The World Health Organization has said that the nation's outbreak of polio threatens the health of other nations. The disease has been exported from India to four countries that had eradicated the disease: Bangladesh, Nepal, Angola and Namibia.

The India Health Ministry has stated they intend to eliminate polio from India by 2007. Few details of the eradication plan have been provided, though the Minister did say he would meet field workers in Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, in October to work on a vaccination campaign. About 90 percent of all polio cases were reported in Uttar Pradesh. People in many areas of the state live in close quarters and sanitation infrastructure is often insufficient. Thousands of children there missed polio vaccination last year, which contributed to the current outbreak. Other affected states include Bihar, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttaranchal. 

In developing countries, the polio virus is often spread through food or water that has been contaminated with infected feces. In countries with higher sanitation levels, the disease is usually transmitted via respiratory droplets coughed by an infected person. The virus mainly affects children under five and will reach the central nervous system in approximately one out of every 100 patients, causing some form of paralysis.

All travelers visiting India are advised to be fully immunized against polio. For more information, please contact any International SOS Alarm Center.

United States - October 4 - Human Avian Influenza Vaccine Performs Well in Initial Trials

Illinois-based Baxter International Inc. said that their experimental human vaccine against avian influenza might work even if given in low doses, based on preliminary research. A group of 270 volunteers were given doses ranging from 3.75 micrograms to 30 micrograms, and even people given the lowest dose were able to produce antibodies that can protect against divergent strains of the A/H5N1 avian influenza virus. The company considers this a first step towards producing vaccines that use animal cells - not chicken eggs - to grow the virus. (There is concern that chicken eggs could be in short supply during an avian flu pandemic.) Further trials will begin within a few months and are necessary to confirm these findings. 

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.

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