Vector Surveillance and Control

Dear colleagues,

Due to the high prevalence of influenza this year in Australia, airlines would deny access onboard to passengers displaying flu signs unless a medical clearance is provided. Here is the link:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7051723/Australians-warned-not-able-FLY-flu-symptoms.html

Dr Mohamed Moussif

Chief Medical Officer at Casablanca International Airport

Morocco

Dear colleagues,

After being under quarantine since Tuesday over a case of measles onboard, the cruise liner "Freewinds" has left, today, the Caribbean island of St. Lucia.

In fact, The international makeup of the population aboard cruise ships combined with their semi‐enclosed environment has the potential to facilitate introduction and spread of vaccine preventable diseases such as measles, rubella, and varicella onboard and into communities. 

Dear colleagues,

WHO, the Ministry of Health of the DRC and the Uganda Red Cross Society have agreed to conduct joint travelers screening at 25 high risk ground crossings shared by the DRC and Uganda:

https://www.afro.who.int/news/who-and-uganda-red-cross-society-sign-agreement-strengthen-ebola-screening-points-entry

A live webinar titled “Issues on disinfection and disinsection on aircrafts” will be organised within the framework of EU HEALTHY GATEWAYS joint action. Please find below the registration information below, your participation is welcomed.

Webinar Series: Preparedness at Points Of Entry

Upcoming Webinar:

Issues on disinfection and disinsection on aircrafts.

Dear Colleagues,

In my ongoing quest for additional training material, I wonder if any of you can assist with providing me with any of the following:

1 Copies of entries/formats of Ships Engineers log books

2 Crew/Officer Mess Room photographs (either clean or not so clean)

3 Copies of garbage receipts from various ports

Dear colleagues,

A highly Ebola suspected case, pending lab confirmation, has been detected yesterday in Hoima district in Uganda. Hoima district shares border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo across Lake Albert. Hoima is located approximately 230 kilometres, by road, northwest of Kampala, the capital of Uganda and the largest city in that country.

If the case is confirmed, it would ring alarm bells regarding the spread of the disease to a neighbouring country marking,thereby, the shift of the outbreak from one stage to a higher one. Here is the link:

Dear Colleagues,

Greetings from Cairo where I am currently based for the next 2 months.

I have only just discovered this resource which may be of interest to members, whereby you can access a range of training covering a range of different health conditions under key headings such as Outbreaks, Preparing for Pandemics, Ready for Response and Get Social.

Access to the courses can be found at https://openwho.org/ where you can register to set up an account.

Best Wishes,