Travel Health Service Year 2016

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	399	World Health Organization, 22 March 2016
Brazil	495,266	World Health Organization, 24 March 2016
Cambodia	663	World Health Organization, 22 March 2016
Guangdong	22	Health Department of Guangdong Province, 15 March 2016
India	2,085	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 29 February 2016
Japan	57^#	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 29 March 2016
Lao PDR	207	World Health Organization, 22 March 2016
Mexico	17,981	World Health Organization, 24 March 2016
Philippines	18,790	World Health Organization, 22 March 2016
Singapore	6,213^{^}	Singapore National Environment Agency, 31 March 2016
Sri Lanka	13,275	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 31 March 2016
Taiwan	371	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 31 March 2016
Thailand	13,411	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 29 March 2016
Vietnam	13,086	World Health Organization, 22 March 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.

Americas, Africa, Asia and other areas: Zika virus infection

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (April 1) closely monitoring the latest Zika virus update of the World Health Organization (WHO), and again urged the public to adopt strict anti-mosquito measures during travel. Pregnant women and those planning pregnancy should consider deferring their trip to affected areas.

To date, 61 countries/areas have documented Zika virus transmission since 2007 and are detailed below:

A. First Zika outbreak, with no evidence of past circulation, and with ongoing transmission by mosquitos (42)

Risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), microcephaly and other neurological disorders associated with Zika virus is high.

Africa: Cape Verde

Americas (33): Aruba, Barbados, Bolivia, Bonaire, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint-Martin, St Maarten, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the US Virgin Islands, Venezuela;

Southeast Asia: Maldives;

Western Pacific (seven): American Samoa, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu;

B. With evidence of past Zika transmission, with or without ongoing transmission (13)

Zika virus transmission has occurred at low levels in the past.

Africa: Gabon;

Southeast Asia (three): Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand;

Western Pacific (nine): Cambodia, Cook Islands*, French Polynesia*, Laos, Malaysia, Micronesia, New Caledonia*, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines;

*Outbreak over

C. With evidence of person-to-person Zika transmission, other than mosquito-borne transmission (six)

Transmission by modes other than vectors, e.g. by sexual contact, was recorded.

Americas (three): Argentina, Chile, the United States;

Europe (two): France, Italy; and

Western Pacific: New Zealand.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 1 April 2016)

Niger: Meningococcal meningitis

An outbreak of meningococcal meningitis affecting 736 people was reported in Niger. Out of which, 61 people died.

(Source: ProMED-mail 31 March 2016)

Mainland: Avian Influenza, human

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is today (March 30) 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 patient was a 45-year-old man who lives in Xuancheng. He had recent history of contact with poultry and is currently in critical condition.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 30 March 2016)

Americas, Africa, Asia and other areas: Zika virus infection

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (March 25) closely monitoring the latest update on Zika virus of the World Health Organization (WHO), and again urged the public to adopt strict anti-mosquito measures during travel. Pregnant women and those planning pregnancy should consider deferring their trip to affected areas.

According to the WHO, 53 countries/areas have reported or indicated autochthonous Zika virus transmission since 2007, and five countries have reported or indicated locally acquired infections probably through sexual contact in the absence of any known mosquito vectors. They are detailed as follows:

A. Report/indication of autochthonous transmission and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and microcephaly (three)

Americas (two): Brazil, Panama;

Western Pacific (one): French Polynesia (outbreak terminated);

B. Report/indication of autochthonous transmission, GBS and no reports of microcephaly (nine)

Americas: Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Venezuela;

C. Report/indication of autochthonous transmission and no reports of GBS or microcephaly (41)

Africa (two): Cape Verde, Gabon;

Americas (22): Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Saint-Martin, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago, the US Virgin Islands;

Southeast Asia (four): Bangladesh, Indonesia, Maldives, Thailand;

Western Pacific (13): American Samoa, Cambodia, Fiji, Laos, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu;

D. Locally acquired without vector-borne transmission (five)

Americas (two): Argentina, the United States;

Europe (two): France, Italy; and

Western Pacific (one): New Zealand.

(Source: World Health Organization 25 March 2016)

Togo: Lassa Fever

Two cases of Lassa Fever.were reported in Togo.

(Source: World Health Organization 23 March 2016)