Disease

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease in Japan - Advisory

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their travel notice for Japan after the World Health Organization (WHO) updated the hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) case count to 264,541 cases through Aug. 19, 2015.

While cases have steadily increased since mid-March, health officials say the cases have been in decline during the past several weeks.

HFMD is typically a benign and self-limiting disease. Most common in young children, it presents as fever, oral lesions and rash on the hands, feet and buttocks. The oral lesions consist of rapidly-ulcerating vesicles on the buccal mucosa, tongue, palate and gums. The rash consists of papulovesicular lesions on the palms, fingers and soles, which generally persist for seven to 10 days, and maculopapular lesions on the buttocks.

Dengue Fever in India

Delhi is witnessing its biggest outbreak of dengue cases in five years. The strains of the disease that have emerged as the more dominant subtypes this year involve rapid drops in platelet levels, leading to a rush at clinics, hospitals and blood banks. Doctors believe the coming four weeks could see a rise in cases as the temperatures haven't dipped yet.

By September 5, 1259 cases of dengue had been recorded. This is the highest since 2009, when 1512 cases were recorded. The Delhi Health Department has issued an advisory to all hospitals not to refuse admission to any dengue patient. The hospitals have also been asked to increase the number of beds made available for the treatment of dengue patients.