Weekly releases (1997–2007) - Volume 6, Issue 9, 28 February 2002

Five clinical cases of wound botulism have been reported to the Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre and the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health since the beginning of February 2002 (1,2).

On 6 February 2002, a cluster of pneumonia cases was reported to the Sección de Vigilancia Epidemiológica del Servicio Aragonés de Salud (epidemiological surveillance unit, health services of Aragon) in Zaragoza, Spain; all patients were residents of a nursing home for elderly people. The residents in the home were aged 56-102 years, the median age was 86.

International travel is undertaken by large, and ever increasing, numbers of people. More people travel longer distances and at greater speed than ever before; an upward trend that looks set to continue. Travellers are thus exposed to a variety of health risks in unfamiliar environments. Most of these risks, however, can be minimised by suitable precautions taken before, during, and after travel. Virtually any place in the world can be reached within 36 hours, less than the incubation period for most infectious diseases.

The November/December issue of the monthly bulletin Eurosurveillance, also funded by the European Commission, is now available on the internet (in English and French) at http://www.eurosurveillance.org/.