Quarantine authorities are urging travelers to take precautions
against the mosquito-borne disease dengue fever after several
Southeast Asian countries have reported cases.
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia and Sri Lanka have recently
reported outbreaks of the disease, according to the World Health
Organization (WHO).
To stop it spreading to China, travelers from regions subject to
dengue fever are being asked to declare symptoms such as fever,
headaches, bone or joint and muscular pains and rashes associated
with the disease at Chinese quarantine and inspection stations.
The request was made in a bulletin issued Thursday by the State
General Administration for Quality Supervision and Inspection and
Quarantine.
If travelers develop any of these symptoms after entering China,
they should seek medical care immediately.
The outbreak first appeared in Bhutan, where 1,565 cases were
reported between July 1 and 16. There were no deaths, according to
the WHO website at http://www.who.int.
By July 19, Sri Lanka had registered 9,062 cases and 59 deaths.
Indonesia recorded 59,321 cases of dengue fever and dengue
hemorrhagic fever and 669 deaths by July 7.
Bangladesh reported 698 cases, with three deaths, by July 21,
according to the WHO.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne infection that in recent years has
become a major international public health concern. No vaccine is
available. The infection does not spread directly from person to
person.
To prevent dengue-carrying mosquitoes from entering China,
quarantine authorities have ordered all transport equipment and
containers from infected areas to be disinfected.
On Thursday, quarantine officials advised people who may be
heading for the four Southeast Asian countries to get the latest
information about the disease from local quarantine agencies or
health care centers.
Also this week, the Ministry of Health called for conscientious
efforts to monitor, report and control malaria to prevent outbreaks
in China.
Malaria prevention should specifically target Chinese migrant
workers, especially those returned from Myanmar or working on the
Sino-Myanmar borders, the ministry announced on Wednesday.
By the end of July, 80 malaria cases, including two deaths, had
been reported among rural migrants in southwest China's Sichuan
Province. All the victims had worked on the Sino-Myanmar
border, according to the ministry.
Malaria is an infectious disease characterized by cycles of
chills, fever, and sweating. The disease is transmitted by the bite
of an infected female anopheles mosquito.
Tests for malaria have been added to regular checks conducted on
fever patients.
The Ministry of Health has also notified quarantine inspection
departments to tighten sanitation inspections of individuals and
vehicles at border stations, and a regular information exchange
mechanism has been set up between the two departments.
(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency August 20, 2004)