China: Polio

Outbreaks caused by four types of the dengue fever virus have increased in the past 25 years. About 40% of the world’s population lives in areas where there is a risk of dengue fever.  Dengue fever is the most common viral disease spread to humans by mosquitoes.  It can cause severe flu-like symptoms. In some…

Mount Lokon volcano, located in North Sulawesi Province, began erupting on July 9, 2011. The alert level for the volcano has been raised and thousands of residents have been evacuated. Travelers should avoid affected areas and monitor the situation through local media.

Presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for February 18, 2011; local government elections are scheduled for late February and early March 2011. Travelers should avoid all election rallies, protests, and demonstrations. There is an increased possibility of attacks by militant groups during this time.

Authorities in Japan have declared a nuclear emergency following the loss of power to ten nuclear reactor units in three separate nuclear power plants (Onagawa, Fukushima Daiichi and Fukiushima Daini). The cooling systems at both Daiichi and Daini experienced problems. Daiichi experienced explosions in three units (Nos. 1, 2 and 3) and a fire has…