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	1,760	World Health Organization, 18 October 2016
Brazil	1,426,005	World Health Organization, 14 October 2016
Cambodia	1,771	World Health Organization, 18 October 2016
Guangdong	434	Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 25 October 2016
India	51,731	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 2 October 2016
Japan	293#	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 25 October 2016
Lao PDR	4,137	World Health Organization, 18 October 2016
Malaysia	84,774	World Health Organization, 18 October 2016
Mexico	88,875	World Health Organization, 14 October 2016
Philippines	101,401	World Health Organization, 18 October 2016
Singapore	12,413^	Singapore National Environment Agency, 27 October 2016
Sri Lanka	44,171	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 26 October 2016
Taiwan	377”	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 27 October 2016
Thailand	50,856	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 26 October 2016
Vietnam	46,957	World Health Organization, 18 October 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.

Peru: Chikungunya fever

So far this year, 233 cases of Chikungunya fever were reported in Peru.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 31 October 2016)

 

Costa Rica: Chikungunya fever

So far this year, 3,023 cases of Chikungunya fever were reported in Costa Rica.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 31 October 2016)

 

Colombia: Chikungunya fever

So far this year, 19,159 cases of Chikungunya fever were reported in Colombia.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 31 October 2016)

 

Liberia: Schistosomiasis

Over 300 cases of schistosomiasis were reported in northern Liberia.

(Source: ProMED-mail 26 October 2016)

 

Nigeria: Lassa fever [Update]

Till October this year, 841 suspected cases of Lassa fever, including 98 deaths, were reported in 28 states across Nigeria, compared with 228 suspected cases with 6 deaths at the same period in 2015.

(Source: ProMED-mail 26 October 2016)

 

India: Japanese Encephalitis [Update]

66 fatal cases of Japanese encephalitis were reported in Odisha, India in 45 days.

(Source: ProMED-mail 26 October 2016)