Current Travel Health News

Dengue fever is now endemic in more than 100 countries in Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. This includes various popular tourist destinations for Hong Kong people including the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Travellers planning to travel in these areas should take precautions against the disease.

Cumulative reported number of dengue cases since 01/01/2016 *

	Cumulative reported no. of cases since 01/01/2016	Source of information and date of report
Australia	1,683	World Health Organization, 20 September 2016
Brazil	1,426,005	World Health Organization, 27 September 2016
Cambodia	1,771	World Health Organization, 20 September 2016
Guangdong	309	Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 27 September 2016
India	51,731	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 2 October 2016
Japan	272#	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 4 October 2016
Lao PDR	3,455	World Health Organization, 20 September 2016
Malaysia	78,077	World Health Organization, 20 September 2016
Mexico	77,940	World Health Organization, 27 September 2016
Philippines	101,401	World Health Organization, 20 September 2016
Singapore	12,114^	Singapore National Environment Agency, 6 October 2016
Sri Lanka	42,397	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 5 October 2016
Taiwan	377”	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 6 October 2016
Thailand	46,344	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 4 October 2016
Vietnam	36,639	World Health Organization, 20 September 2016

Remarks:
* Dengue reporting systems vary by country.
“ Locally-acquired
^ Cumulative cases since 3 January 2016
# Cumulative cases since 4 January 2016.

Travellers should stay vigilant against dengue fever and adopt the following personal preventive measures against mosquito bite:

*	Always wear loose, light-coloured long-sleeved tops and trousers;
*	Stay in air-conditioned residence or places with mosquito screens;
*	If mosquito screen or air-conditioning is absent, aerosol insecticide and bed nets are advised;
*	Use insect repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and clothing;
*	Use insect repellents containing DEET apart from applying sunscreen while staying in beaches;
*	Re-apply insect repellents according to instructions during the trip;
*	Carry a portable bed nets and apply permethrin on it as well as to clothes if travelling to rural areas where dengue fever is prevalent.

Travellers returning from areas where dengue fever is prevalent should seek medical advice as soon as possible if they feel unwell and provide travel details to their doctors.

Romania: West Nile virus infection [Update]

80 cases of West Nile virus infection, including 8 deaths, were reported in Romania between 1 May and 29 September this year.

(Source: ProMED-mail 6 October 2016)

 

India: Japanese Encephalitis [Update]

30 fatal cases of Japanese encephalitis were reported in Odisha, India within a month.

(Source: ProMED-mail 6 October 2016)

 

United Arab Emirates: Avian Influenza, birds

Detection of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in quails was reported in the western part of UAE.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 5 October 2016)

 

Pakistan: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever

9 fatal cases of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever were reported in Karachi, Pakistan.

(Source: ProMED-mail 5 October 2016)

 

Vietnam: Avian Influenza, poultry

An outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza was reported in Ca Mau of Vietnam.

(Source: ProMED-mail 4 October 2016)