Current 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 |
621 |
World Health Organization, 19 April 2016 |
Brazil |
495,266 |
World Health Organization, 1 April 2016 |
Cambodia |
663 |
World Health Organization, 19 April 2016 |
Guangdong |
29 |
Health Department of Guangdong Province, 15 April 2016 |
India |
2,929 |
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 31 March 2016 |
Japan |
99# |
National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 19 April 2016 |
Lao PDR |
260 |
World Health Organization, 19 April 2016 |
Mexico |
18,561 |
World Health Organization, 1 April 2016 |
Philippines |
18,790 |
World Health Organization, 19 April 2016 |
Singapore |
6,998^ |
Singapore National Environment Agency, 21 April 2016 |
Sri Lanka |
14,729 |
Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 20 April 2016 |
Taiwan |
371 |
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 21 April 2016 |
Thailand |
15,148 |
Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 19 April 2016 |
Vietnam |
13,086 |
World Health Organization, 19 April 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.
Tanzania: Cholera [Update]
As of 20 April 2016, a total of 24,108 cases of
cholera, including 378 deaths, had been reported in
Tanzania.
(Source: World Health Organization 22 April 2016)
Americas, Africa, Asia and other areas: Zika virus infection
The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is today (April 22) closely monitoring the latest
Zika virus update of the World Health Organization (WHO), and again urged the public to adopt strict anti-mosquito measures and safe sex during travel. Pregnant women and those planning pregnancy should consider deferring their trip to affected areas.
According to the WHO,
Peru and
Portugal recently reported person-to-person Zika virus transmission. To date, 66 countries/areas have documented Zika virus transmission since 2007 and are detailed in the
attachment. Based on a growing body of research, there is scientific consensus that Zika virus is a cause of microcephaly, Guillain-Barré syndrome and other central nervous system foetal malformations.
(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 22 April 2016)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health was notified of an additional human case of
avian influenza A(H5N6) in Hubei by the National Health and Family Planning Commission today (April 21), and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.
The case involves a man aged 35 who developed fever on April 9 and was admitted to a hospital on April 12. He is now in critical condition.
From 2014 to date, a total of 11 human cases of avian influenza A(H5N6) have been reported by the Mainland health authorities.
(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 21 April 2016)
Fiji: Leptospirosis
The
Fiji Ministry of Health has
reported 61 cases of
Leptospirosis since the beginning of this year.
(Source: ProMED-mail 21 April 2016)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is today (April 20) closely monitoring an additional human case of
avian influenza A(H7N9) in the
Mainland, and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.
According to the Health and Family Planning Commission of Anhui Province, the male patient aged 62 from Maanshan visited a live poultry market before onset. He has been hospitalised in critical condition.
(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 20 April 2016)
Hong Kong: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (April 19) investigating the third imported human case of
avian influenza A(H7N9) infection in
Hong Kong this year affecting an 80-year-old man.
The patient, with underlying illnesses, travelled to Dongguan, Guangdong from April 1 to 5. He has presented with cough with sputum, headache and gouty attack since April 6 and consulted a private doctor on April 7. He sought medical consultation from another private doctor on April 14 and was found to have fever. He developed confusion and refused eating on April 17, and was sent to Accident and Emergency Department of United Christian Hospital by ambulance for treatment on the same day. He was subsequently admitted to isolation ward.
The patient's sputum specimens tested positive for avian influenza A(H7N9) virus upon laboratory testing by the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the CHP. He is currently in stable condition.
Initial investigations by the CHP revealed that the patient visited a wet market near his residence in Dongguan on April 2. He bought a live chicken from the wet market and slaughtered it on April 3. His two travel collaterals and another three close contacts have remained asymptomatic so far. Tracing of the patient's contacts in Hong Kong is ongoing.
(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 19 April 2016)
Peru: Yellow fever
In
Peru, 4 cases of
yellow fever including 3 deaths were reported in Junin.
(Source: ProMED-mail 17 April 2016)