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The Fiji Ministry of Health has announced a public heath emergency in Navosa, an area near the Coral Coast, due to an outbreak of typhoid fever. Symptoms include fever, gastroenteritis and diarrhoea. New Zealanders visiting Fiji are advised to pay particular attention to personal hygiene, and food safety. New Zealanders should consider getting a typhoid vaccination prior to travel.
The Fiji Ministry of Health is advising visitors to villages and settlements to exercise caution with local water supplies and recommends tourists carry their own drinking water on such excursions. Tourists should avoid taking part in kava drinking ceremonies in rural areas unless tour operators can provide assurances that Fiji Ministry of Health guidelines are being observed.
Cases of typhoid fever may also be found in other parts of the pacific region.
A cholera outbreak has recently spread through parts of Papua New Guinea (Morobe Province and Eastern Highlands). The disease has more recently been confirmed as present in Port Moresby.
Cholera is a diarrhoeal disease caused by a bacterial infection and can result in severe dehydration and possible death. There are vaccines available, however these do not provide 100% cover.
Travellers are advised to rigorously follow basic hygiene precautions, which include washing hands frequently with soap and water, especially before eating or handling food; avoiding eating raw food and drinking only water that has been boiled or treated with chlorine.
For more information on Cholera see the World Health Organisation website
The management of the Consulate-General in Melbourne transferred from Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to New Zealand Trade and Enterprise on 1 July 2010. The office will still provide consular services to New Zealanders in the State of Victoria.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is closely monitoring the situation on the Korean Peninsula given the recent escalation in tensions in light of the sinking of a South Korean naval vessel, the Cheonan.
New Zealanders in the region are advised to register their details with MFAT so we can maintain contact with you.
We also recommend you monitor local media to stay informed of developments.
Our email service for receiving Travel Advisories has been updated. The updated service allows subscribers to customise their subscription account to meet individual travel needs. Changes include being able to select countries or regions of interest, and being able to nominate multiple email accounts to which information and advice can be sent to.
Before travelling overseas make sure your passport is valid. Many countries require you to have a minimum of six months validity on your passport for the duration of your trip. You should have at least one clear visa page in your passport for immigration stamps. Well in advance of your travel you should also check with the relevant country's High Commission or Embassy to see whether you require a visa to enter or transit the countries you will be visiting. Failure to comply with any of the above may see you turned away at the border and New Zealand consular officials cannot intervene on your behalf.
Before you travel to the South Pacific please remember to take out travel insurance which includes provision for medical repatriation to New Zealand. In some South Pacific countries, medical assistance is limited and repatriation to New Zealand for urgent medical treatment is the only option. Repatriation is often by private air ambulance which can be very costly (in some cases, up to $100,000). These costs have to be met by the traveller's insurance provider or the traveller themselves if they don't have insurance. Remember that the New Zealand Government will not pay for medical repatriation to New Zealand.
For the latest information on the Pandemic situation, including travel advice, see our Travel Health Notice: Pandemic (H1N1) 2009.
There are now confirmed outbreaks of dengue fever in North Queensland, Australia (Townsville, Cairns, Port Douglas). Significant dengue fever outbreaks are also currently occurring or have recently occurred in many parts of the Pacific (Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu), as well as countries in Asia and Latin/South America. Dengue fever is a serious viral disease spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes. As there is no vaccine to protect against dengue fever, travellers to these regions are advised to use insect repellent, wear protective clothing, and stay in lodgings where there are mosquito screens on windows and doors. If you feel unwell during your trip or in the first two weeks after your return, you are advised to seek immediate medical advice.
Page last updated: Friday, 27 August 2010, 16:20 NZST
