Travel Health Service Year 2016

Current Travel Health News

Travel Health News

Current Travel Health News

Take precautions against dengue fever when travelling abroad

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

1,930

World Health Organization, 29 November 2016

Brazil

1,452,284

World Health Organization, 23 November 2016

Cambodia

1,771

World Health Organization, 29 November 2016

Guangdong

454

Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 14 November 2016

India

97,313

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 27 November 2016

Japan

320#

National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 6 December 2016

Lao PDR

5,147

World Health Organization, 29 November 2016

Malaysia

94,337

World Health Organization, 29 November 2016

Mexico

118,841

World Health Organization, 23 November 2016

Philippines

101,401

World Health Organization, 29 November 2016

Singapore

12,875^

Singapore National Environment Agency, 7 December 2016

Sri Lanka

47,182

Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 2 December 2016

Taiwan

380”

CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 8 December 2016

Thailand

58,555

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 7 December 2016

Vietnam

63,504

World Health Organization, 29 November 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.


Bolivia: Chikungunya fever

So far this year, 20,804 cases of Chikungunya fever were reported in Bolivia.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 12 December 2016)

 

Guatemala: Chikungunya fever [Update]

133 new cases of Chikungunya fever were reported in Guatemala, bringing the number to a total of 5,169 cases for the year.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 12 December 2016)

 

Yemen: Cholera [Update]

So far, a total of 8,975 suspected cholera cases, including 89 deaths, were reported in Yemen.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 9 December 2016)

 

France: Avian Influenza, poultry [Update]

More cases of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza were reported in southern France.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 9 December 2016)

 

Mainland: Avian influenza, human [Update]

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health received notification of an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) from the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province. The male patient aged 81 from Meizhou is the first human case of H7N9 reported in Guangdong in this winter.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 9 December 2016)

 

Oman: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is closely monitoring an additional case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome reported to the World Health Organisation by Oman. The patient is a 67-year-old man with underlying illnesses. He developed symptoms on November 18 and was admitted to a hospital on November 20. The patient tested positive for MERS Coronavirus on November 29. He is in stable condition and was discharged from hospital. The patient had a history of exposure to camels in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 9 December 2016)

 

Japan: Avian Influenza, wild birds

Cases of highly pathogenic H5N6 avian influenza were reported in 9 different prefectures in Japan.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 7 December 2016)

 

Israel: Avian influenza, poultry [Update]

Additional outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N8) have been reported in Israel.

(Source: ProMED-mail 6 December 2016)

 

Serbia: Avian Influenza, wild birds

Cases of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza were reported in South Backa District, Serbia.

(Source: ProMED-mail 6 December 2016)

 

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is closely monitoring nine additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), including one death, reported to the World Health Organization by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and again urged the public to pay special attention to safety during travel, taking due consideration of health risks in the places they visit.

The patients are six men and three women aged from 29 to 59, with five having underlying illnesses. One patient has passed away, one is in a critical condition and seven are in a stable condition. Investigations revealed that four of them had a history of contact with camels and consumption of their raw milk. The remaining five patients' sources of infection are still under investigation.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 6 December 2016)