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

2,003

World Health Organization, 13 December 2016

Brazil

1,452,284

World Health Organization, 12 December 2016

Cambodia

1,771

World Health Organization, 13 December 2016

Guangdong

533

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

India

101,388

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 11 December 2016

Japan

325#

National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 13 December 2016

Lao PDR

5,373

World Health Organization, 13 December 2016

Malaysia

95,665

World Health Organization, 13 December 2016

Mexico

124,580

World Health Organization, 12 December 2016

Philippines

101,401

World Health Organization, 13 December 2016

Singapore

12,952^

Singapore National Environment Agency, 15 December 2016

Sri Lanka

48,682

Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 15 December 2016

Taiwan

380”

CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 15 December 2016

Thailand

60,115

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 15 December 2016

Vietnam

79,204

World Health Organization, 13 December 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.


Hong Kong: Avian Influenza, human

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is investigating the first imported human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Hong Kong this winter.

The male patient, aged 75 with underlying illnesses, travelled to Changping, Dongguan alone on November 28 and attended a hospital there for chest discomfort on December 8. He returned to Hong Kong via Lo Wu on December 9 and was directly admitted to North District Hospital by ambulance for cough with sputum, shortness of breath, runny nose and chest discomfort. His nasopharyngeal swab tested positive for enterovirus/rhinovirus and negative for influenza virus upon testing by the CHP's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch (PHLSB).

The patient subsequently developed fever on December 17 and the clinical diagnosis was pneumonia. His nasopharyngeal aspirate collected on 19 December was confirmed to be positive for influenza A(H7N9) virus by the PHLSB tonight. He is now in serious condition and is under isolation and further management.

The patient denied recent exposure to poultry or wet market.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 19 December 2016)

 

South Korea: Avian influenza, poultry

For the first time, South Korea reported cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza(H5N8) in a chicken farm.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 19 December 2016)

 

Nigeria: Avian Influenza, poultry

The first cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N8) have been reported in Nigeria.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 19 December 2016)

 

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

Between 6 and 13 December 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Saudi Arabia reported ten additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) including two fatal cases.

(Source: World Health Organisation 19 December 2016)

 

Dominican Republic: Leptospirosis [Update]

So far this year, 560 cases of leptospirosis were reported in Dominican Republic.

(Source: ProMED-mail 19 December 2016)

 

USA: Mumps

Cases of mumps were reported in Oklahoma, Missouri and New York in USA.

(Source: ProMED-mail 18 December 2016)

 

Yemen: Cholera [Update]

As of 13 December 2016, a total of 10,148 suspected cholera cases, including 92 deaths, were reported in Yemen. Over 65% of the reported cases were from Aden, Al-Bayda, Al Hudaydah and Ta'izz.

(Source: ProMED-mail 18 December 2016)

 

United Kingdom: Avian Influenza, poultry

The first outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza was reported in Lincolnshire in United Kingdom.

(Source: ProMED-mail 17 December 2016)

 

Venezuela: Malaria [Update]

As of 5 November 2016, 200,000 locally-acquired cases of malaria were reported in Venezuela.

(Source: ProMED-mail 17 December 2016)

 

Somalia: Measles

An outbreak of measles has been reported in Lower Juba, Somalia.

(Source: ProMED-mail 15 December 2016)

 

Madagascar: Plague

At least 31 fatal cases of plague have been reported in Madagascar’s southern district of Befotaka Atsimo.

(Source: ProMED-mail 14 December 2016)

 

Macau: Avian Influenza, human

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health received notification of the first human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) from the Health Bureau of Macao, and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.

The male asymptomatic patient aged 58 is a wholesaler who had contact with silky fowls in a wholesale poultry market in Macau whose specimen was detected with avian influenza A(H7) antigen. He and his wife have been hospitalised for isolation and quarantine respectively.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 14 December 2016)

 

Mainland: Avian influenza, human [Update]

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health received notification of five additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) from the National Health and Family Planning Commission, and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel. The patients are:

  • A man aged 59 from Fuzhou, Fujian, exposed to poultry market, in serious condition;
  • A male farmer aged 58 from Kunshan, Jiangsu, in serious condition;
  • A man aged 63 from Nantong, Jiangsu, exposed to poultry market, in serious condition;
  • A man aged 32 from Kunshan, Jiangsu, exposed to poultry market, in serious condition; and
  • A man aged 64 from Suzhou, Jiangsu, exposed to poultry market, in serious condition.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 13 December 2016)