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	1,282	World Health Organization, 12 July 2016
Brazil	1,244,583	World Health Organization, 7 July 2016
Cambodia	1,771	World Health Organization, 12 July 2016
Guangdong	48	Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 15 June 2016
India	8,307	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 28 June 2016
Japan	161#	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 12 July 2016
Lao PDR	1,530	World Health Organization, 12 July 2016
Mexico	34,275	World Health Organization, 7 July 2016
Philippines	52,177	World Health Organization, 12 July 2016
Singapore	9,530^	Singapore National Environment Agency, 14 July 2016
Sri Lanka	23,505	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 12 July 2016
Taiwan	373	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 14 July 2016
Thailand	22,566	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 13 July 2016
Vietnam	25,441	World Health Organization, 12 July 2016

Remark:
* Dengue reporting systems vary by country.
^ 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.

Brazil: Influenza

As of 1 July 2016, there have been 1,233 deaths linked to the ongoing H1N1 influenza outbreak in Brazil. The majority of cases were from the region of Sao Paulo.

(Source: ProMED-mail 16 July 2016)

 

Philippines: Japanese Encephalitis

A case of Japanese encephalitis has been reported in Davao of Philippines.

(Source: ProMED-mail 16 July 2016)

 

Vietnam: Japanese Encephalitis

Spread of Japanese encephalitis was reported in the northern region of Vietnam.

(Source: ProMED-mail 16 July 2016)

 

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Yellow Fever [update]

At least 1,307 cases of yellow fever, including 75 deaths, have been reported in Democratic Republic of the Congo since March 2016.

(Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 14 July 2016)

 

Uganda: Yellow Fever [update]

At least 91 cases of yellow fever, including 3 deaths, have been reported in Uganda since April 2016.

(Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 14 July 2016)

 

Angola: Yellow Fever [update]

At least 3,552 cases of yellow fever, including 355 deaths, have been reported in Angola. The majority of cases have been in Luanda Province.

(Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 14 July 2016)

 

Iraq: Avian Influenza, poultry

Outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza were reported in poultry farms in Wasit of Iraq.

(Source: ProMED-mail 14 July 2016)