internationalsos.com - Press releases
Goa airport closed to visitors due to terrorist threat; Bird flu outbreak in Vietnam19 December 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.
December 21, 2006 – India - Visitors banned from Goa’s Dabolim Airport The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has banned visitors from entering Goa's Dabolim Airport from December 24 2006 to January 2 2007 for security reasons. Reports indicate that the AAI's decision was triggered by foreign government warnings of a possible terrorist threat in Goa during the Christmas and New Year holidays. Goa has been under a heightened state of alert since November. The tourist season officially opens in November and reaches its peak during New Year's Eve. While specific information of a terrorist plot in Goa is not known at this time, the Indian government's decision to ban the entry of visitors during peak holiday dates illustrates the credibility of security warnings made in the last few weeks. December 20, 2006 – Malaysia - Dengue fever surges in Klang Valley Malaysia has reported 1,016 suspected cases of dengue fever this year, about one-quarter of which have been laboratory-confirmed. More than 70 people have died. Klang Valley is an area that encompasses Kuala Lumpur, its suburbs and adjoining cities in the state of Selangor. More than 6 million people live in this area, which is an industrial and commercial center. Dengue or "break-bone" fever is a viral disease found in tropical and sub-tropical areas. It is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The acute form of the illness can last up to ten days, and complete recovery can take two to four weeks. Occasionally, a potentially fatal form of dengue fever called dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) occurs. DHF usually occurs in patients who have previously had dengue fever, and its fatality rate is about 5 percent. As there is no vaccine, preventing mosquito bites is the only way to prevent dengue fever. For more information on this disease and its prevention, please contact the nearest International SOS Alarm Center. December 20, 2006 – Vietnam - Large bird flu outbreaks in two provinces New disease outbreaks have killed several thousand birds in two Vietnamese provinces in the southern Mekong Delta. Poultry samples from both Bac Lieu and Ca Mau provinces have been positive for avian flu. Authorities consider the deaths and test results indicative of an epidemic among birds and have culled the remaining birds in affected flocks. Vietnam's national animal health department said the birds were illegally hatched and had not been vaccinated against avian flu. Vietnam last reported viral activity among birds in August 2006, though the nation has not had an outbreak major enough to be considered an 'epidemic' since 2005. 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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