Travel Health Service Year 2017

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 01/01/2017 *

	Cumulative reported no. of cases since 01/01/2017	Source of information and date of report
Australia	695	World Health Organization, 15 August 2017
Brazil	192,123	World Health Organization, 18 August 2017
Cambodia	1,604	World Health Organization, 15 August 2017
India	36,635	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 20 August 2017
Guangdong	171	Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 24 August 2017
Japan	124^#	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 22 August 2017
Lao PDR	5,740	World Health Organization, 15 August 2017
Macau	6"	Health Bureau of Macau, 22 August 2017
Malaysia	59,521	World Health Organization, 15 August 2017
Mexico	6,546	World Health Organization, 18 August 2017
Philippines	43,770	World Health Organization, 15 August 2017
Singapore	1,877	Singapore National Environment Agency, 24 August 2017
Sri Lanka	143,179	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 24 August 2017
Taiwan	3”	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 24 August 2017
Thailand	31,512	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 23 August 2017
Vietnam	80,555	World Health Organization, 15 August 2017

Remarks:
* Dengue reporting systems vary by country.
“ Locally-acquired
# Cumulative cases since 2 January 2017.

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 [Update]

565,041 suspected cholera cases were reported in Yemen. 2,018 people died.

(Source: ProMED-mail 28 August 2017)

Thailand: Melioidosis

So far this year, 1,978 cases of melioidosis were reported in Thailand. 21 people died.

(Source: ProMED-mail 28 August 2017)

Greece: West Nile Virus infection

So far this year, 37 cases of West Nile virus infection were reported in Greece.

(Source: ProMED-mail 28 August 2017)

Mainland: Avian influenza, human [Update]

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is monitoring a notification from the National Health and Family Planning Commission that two additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) were recorded from August 18 to 24 in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and strongly urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.

Two male patients in Urumqi aged 73 and 74 respectively had onset on August 7 and were admitted to hospital for severe pneumonia. The former was known to have had exposure to a live poultry market.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 25 August 2017)

France: Chikungunya fever

Local transmission of chikungunya fever has been confirmed in south eastern France.

(Source: World Health Organization 25 August 2017)

French Guiana: Yellow Fever

For the first time since 1998, a case of yellow fever has been confirmed in French Guiana. The patient stayed in the forest near the border area with Brazil.

(Source: ProMED-mail 24 August 2017)

Yemen: Cholera [Update]

542,278 suspected cholera cases were reported in Yemen. 2,003 people died.

(Source: ProMED-mail 24 August 2017)

Pakistan: Chikungunya fever [Update]

Over the past week, 4 fatal cases of Chikungunya fever were reported in Tharparkar, Pakistan.

(Source: ProMED-mail 24 August 2017)

South Korea: Typhoid Fever

Five students in South Korea contracted typhoid fever after visiting India.

(Source: ProMED-mail 23 August 2017)

Malawi: Cholera

Nine cases of cholera were reported in the southern region of Malawi.

(Source: ProMED-mail 23 August 2017)

Yemen: Cholera [Update]

527,000 suspected cholera cases were reported in Yemen. 1,997 people died.

(Source: ProMED-mail 22 August 2017)