After the recent measles outbreak in the USA, travelers going abroad this summer are advised to get vaccinated before they travel. There have been a record-number of measles cases in the United States this year, many resulting from unvaccinated travelers visiting places such as Southeast Asia, and Africa and returning home infected with the disease, reports expathealth.org

So far this year, there have been a confirmed 334 measles cases, the highest figure in more than two decades. ‘Homegrown’ measles cases – those originating the US – were eliminated in 2000, and the recent spike is due to unvaccinated travelers visiting areas which have an active measles outbreak.

“This is not the kind of record we want to break, but should be a wake-up call for travelers and for parents to make sure vaccination records are up to date,” said Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases.

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Before the measles vaccine became available in 1963, the virus infected about 500,000 Americans each year, causing 500 deaths and 48,000 hospitalizations. Measles is still common in many parts of the world, including countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. The CDC said 22 of the cases seen the US this year had been brought back from the Philippines, where a large outbreak began in October 2013.

Measles is best prevented by the MMR vaccine, which, when administered correctly, protects patients from measles, mumps and rubella. Ninety percent of cases in the US this year have been among people who have not had the vaccination or are of unknown vaccination status, according to the CDC. Many people who don’t have the vaccine do so due to religious, personal, or philosophical reasons, reports USA Today.

“Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease that’s best prevented with an MMR vaccine,” said Dr. Mark Sannes, chair of infectious disease for the Park Nicollet Travel Clinic. He also noted polio is on the rise in other countries, and 10 places are currently experiencing outbreaks.

Other common disease travelers should consider vaccinations for are hepatitis A and B, typhoid, yellow fever, and rabies. While there is no vaccine at present, malaria is another ongoing risk for visitors to many tropical and subtropical regions. You should ideally see your doctor four to six weeks before you travel for advice on which vaccines you may require. Even if you leave it late, Sannes notes, last-minute appointments should still be available.

Though measles remains officially “eliminated” in the USA – because there have been no sustained homegrown outbreaks in recent years – “this is a reminder that we cannot let our guard down,” Schuchat said.

Physical inactivity is the biggest threat to Australian women’s health, posing more of a risk than smoking, obesity, or high blood pressure, reports news.com.au this week. The research, carried out by the University of Queensland, shows women over 30 who don’t exercise are at the reports Expathealth.org

In women aged 22-27, smoking was, as expected, the most serious risk factor but after the age of 30 the risk begins to drop off, with lack of exercise becoming the biggest cause of heart problems. The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, tracks the health of more than 32,000 Australia women.

Researchers warned the dangers of an inactive lifestyle were being underestimated, and deserved to be a much higher public health priority. The risks associated with smoking, being overweight and high blood pressure are well known, the dangers of physical inactivity are being under-publicized.

University of Queensland research professor Wendy Brown said the research showed women needed to move more.

“Continuing efforts to encourage people to stop smoking are warranted, but much more emphasis should be placed on physical inactivity,” she said.

“If all over-30s followed recommended daily exercise guidelines – 150 minutes of at least moderate intensity physical activity – the lives of more than 2,600 middle-aged and older women could be saved each year in Australia alone.’’

The study is one of the first in developed countries to look at how lack of exercise affects women specifically. Last month the UK government warned the country has become less physically active than at “any time in human history”, reported the Independent. The report called for more funds to be allocated for footpath and cycle track building, as well as an independent body dedicated to improve physical fitness.

In Australia more companies are introducing wellness and health promotion plans into their employee benefits package, reflecting a global trend. News.com.au reports the Queenslanders Credit Union has introduced initiatives such as free lunchtime yoga classes and fresh fruit provision to keep employees healthy.

Study co-author Dr Toby Pavey said the low levels of physical inactivity in women over 30 could be due to women starting their families later in life. The demands of small children were now falling later.

Trust your doctor, not the Internet, is the message from scientists this week, as a study finds 9 out of 10 Wikipedia medical entries contain errors. Scientists in the U.S. compared Wikipedia entries for health related issues such as heart disease, lung cancer, depression and diabetes with peer-reviewed research. They found most articles contain “many errors”.

The concept of Wikipedia allows people to create edit, and delete entries, which increases the likelihood of mistakes. Wikimedia UK, the British arm of Wikipedia, said it was “crucial” that people with health concerns spoke to their GP first. Though the articles can be altered by anybody, there are volunteers from the medical profession who check pages for inaccuracies, reports expathealth.org

Wikipedia is the sixth most popular website for research said the authors of the study, published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. Researchers found up to 70% of medical students and 47% of physicians use the tool.

The researchers wrote, “Physicians and medical students who currently use Wikipedia as a medical reference should be discouraged from doing so because of the potential for errors.”

The study looked at articles for the 10 most costly conditions in America, including asthma, back problems and osteoarthritis. The articles were printed and analysed on 25 April 2012 and the researchers found 90% made statements which contradicted the latest medical research.

Errors found included an entry which stated to correctly diagnose high blood pressure three high readings needed to be taken over time. This is incorrect and could lead to a dangerous delay in treatment said doctors. Another entry claimed antidepressants were not beneficial for children, but according to the researchers, this is incorrect and could prevent parents from allowing their children to be treated with medication if necessary.

Lead author Robert Hasty of Campbell University said, while many of the mistakes were relatively minor, some “could have clinical implications”. He urged fellow doctors to get involved in editing Wikipedia entries to improve their accuracy.

“Wikipedia is not about truth but about verifiability”

Reported by the BBC, James Heilman president at Wiki Project Med Foundation said he disagreed with the findings, “The conclusions of Hasty’s paper are not supported by the data he provides.

“One example he raises of a so called ‘error’ is Wikipedia’s recommendation around the diagnosis of blood pressure. We stated that three measurements are usually required.

“So does the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the UK which was our reference. Wikipedia is not about truth but about verifiability.”

The levels of air pollution in many of the world’s cities fail to meet the World Health Organisation’s safe guidelines, according to the urban air quality database. Air pollution which exceeds recommended guidelines puts people at risk of respiratory disease and other health problems.

According to the report, issued this week, only 12 percent of people living in the cities which measure air pollution are breathing air which meets the quality guidelines. About half of the urban population being monitored by WHO is exposed to urban air pollution which exceeds the recommended levels by at least 2.5 times.

WHO’s urban air quality database covers 1,600 cities across 91 countries – 500 more cities than the previous database (2011), revealing that more cities worldwide are monitoring outdoor air quality, reflecting growing recognition of air pollution’s health risks.

In cities where there is sufficient data to compare pollution levels today with those from previous years the situation is getting worse. WHO attributes this to many factors, but highlights fossil fuel use, dependence on private transport, insufficient energy use in buildings, and the use of biomass for cooking and heating.

The countries with the highest annual mean levels of PM2.5 (fine particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) are Pakistan, Qatar, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Iran. However, half the 20 cities in the world with the highest PM2.5 levels are found in India. Delhi has the highest levels, 153 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m3), in the world. This is six times the WHO “safe” level of 25 ug/m3.

Surprisingly, no Chinese cities ranked in the top 20 worst cities. Beijing, often in the news for its bad air quality, reported 56 ug/m3 and Chinese politicians have this year declared a “war upon pollution” write expathealth.org

In April 2014 WHO estimated that outdoor pollution was responsible for the deaths of some 3.7 million people under the age of 60 in 2012. The Organisation also highlighted outdoor and indoor air pollution as one of the biggest combined health risks worldwide.

The report notes that individual cities can take local action to improve air quality and thus go against regional trends. And good air quality can go hand in hand with economic development, as indicated by some major cities in Latin America which meet, or approach, the WHO air quality guidelines.

Disease control officials in the Western Hemisphere are on edge about a rising outbreak of chikungunya fever, a brutal mosquito-borne illness that is nearing epidemic status in the Caribbean.

For decades, chikungunya outbreaks were confined to Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Indian and Pacific Oceans. However, in December, it was confirmed for the first time on several Caribbean Islands. The Centers for Disease Control has warned that there is a risk that the disease will be transported to new areas by infected travelers. So, travelers, we need you to pay attention and take steps to protect yourself.

Trust us – you don’t want to contract this disease. People infected with chikungunya fever can suffer from severe pain, high fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and rash. Right, it’s no fun. The name is derived from an East African word for “that which bends,” which is a reference to the contorted posture the infected often take on because of the intense pain they suffer from.

Travelers should protect themselves by taking steps to prevent mosquito bites. This means using insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, and staying in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens.

This is a situation that bears monitoring, so as we always advise, please pay attention to the news, particularly if you’re traveling to the Caribbean

source : the healthytravelblog.com

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