Published Date: 2007-01-21 00:00:00
Subject: PRO/EDR> Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update
Archive Number: 20070121.0285

CHIKUNGUNYA - INDIAN OCEAN UPDATE
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: 9 Jan 2007
From: A-Lan Banks <A-Lan.Banks@thomson.com>
Source: Bernama - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia [edited]
<http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/state_news/news.php?id=240396&cat=nt>

Chikungunya, a rare mosquitoborne disease, has struck Perak again, this
time in 36 people in this city since December last year [2006]. The disease
has been brought under control through various measures, however, and the
people need not panic, state health, science, technology and environment
committee chairman Datuk Tan Chin Meng said today [9 Jan 2007].
He said the Perak Health Department had taken samples of blood from 47
people, and 36 of them were confirmed to have the viral disease, which is
not life-threatening. The disease, which causes fever, severe headache, and
pain in the joints, had struck a village in Pantai Remis early last year
[2006].
Tan said the virus had been brought to Malaysia by Malaysians who had
visited India, where it was present in several states including Tamil Nadu
and Kerala. He said most of the cases were detected at sites where used
goods are sold, and investigations showed that the virus was brought back
from India by the workers there, who traveled to that country often.
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org.>
[This is yet another example of the spread of an acute viral disease via
international travelers. Although this report says that chikungunya
infections are not life threatening, there is some recent evidence that
deaths have occurred (see posting 20061014.2953). A map of Malaysia can be
accessed at:
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/malaysia_pol98.jpg>.
ProMED-mail also thanks Dan Silver, who provided the same report. - Mod.TY]

See Also

2006
---
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update (32) 20061014.2953
Chikungunya - India (11) 20061017.2986
Chikungunya - Sri Lanka (03) 20061129.3380
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean Update (33): Maldives 20061224.3598
.................mpp/ty/msp/sh

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