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

1,683

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

381

Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 11 October 2016

India

51,731

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 2 October 2016

Japan

280#

National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 11 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

12,217^

Singapore National Environment Agency, 13 October 2016

Sri Lanka

42,865

Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 11 October 2016

Taiwan

377”

CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 13 October 2016

Thailand

47,649

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 11 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.


Yemen: Cholera

A total of 644 suspected cases of cholera, including 3 deaths, were reported in Yemen.

(Source: World Health Organization 23 October 2016)