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.
Thailand - May 10, 2006 - Bomb Attack at Pattani Market
Suspected insurgents detonated a bomb at a market in Pattani this morning, killing at least three people and wounding several others. According to police, the bomb was hidden in a motorcycle and detonated as a military truck stopped at a nearby teashop in the market. It is believed the bomb was detonated using a mobile phone.
The recent incident fits a pattern of attacks targeting security troops, government informants, local government officials, and civilians with known links to the government in the southern border provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala.
International SOS members are advised that travel to Thailand may continue; foreigners are advised to avoid travel to the southern provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala. Travel to the Songkhla districts of Thepa, Chana, and Saba Yoi, which have been placed under emergency rule, should be avoided. For more information on the security situation in Thailand, please contact the International SOS Asia Pacific Security Center at + 65 63387800.
Nigeria - May 06, 2006 - Incidence of Polio Increases in northern Nigeria
There are three times more polio cases in Nigeria this year than there were in May of last year. About 80% of the current cases are occurring in just five states: Bauchi, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina. These cases comprise 56% of all current polio cases worldwide. Though vaccination campaigns have been running in these areas, they routinely miss as many as four out of every 10 children. In an attempt to slow transmission of the disease in northern Nigeria, officials have planned “immunization plus days” (IPD’s) for May and June. These offer people additional health interventions during polio vaccination campaigns.
Polio is not a new problem in this area. In 2004 and 2005, some affected areas in Nigeria stopped vaccinating children due to rumors that the vaccine was unsafe. This allowed polio to spread from Nigeria to several other nations that had already eradicated the disease, including Yemen, Indonesia, and Somalia. Polio remains endemic, or consistently present, in four countries in the world: Nigeria, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
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 of approximately one out of every 100 patients, causing some form of paralysis. All travelers visiting Nigeria are advised to be fully immunized against polio. Please contact International SOS for information on Polio vaccination and travel to endemic countries.
United States - May 5, 2006 - Tamiflu shown Effective in Mammal Studies
A study run in the United States found the drug Tamiflu can prevent mortality among mammals infected with the avian flu virus H5N1, and reinforced the fact that the drug is most effective when given early. The study was done with ferrets, which when infected with influenza have symptoms similar to those of human. All the ferrets were infected with H5N1. Four hours later, half were treated with Tamiflu and half were not. All treated animals survived, though the virus did appear in their brains, and all untreated animals died, with the virus in their lungs, intestines, brains and spleens. Despite the positive results, researchers point out that more work must be done to determine the best treatment dose and schedule.
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
International SOS alerts are compiled through numerous resources including physicians and security experts on the ground in 48 countries, and individuals coordinating information from a broad range of resources, including the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and the US State Department.
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