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	773	World Health Organization, 26 September 2017
Brazil	219,040	World Health Organization, 22 September 2017
Cambodia	2,299	World Health Organization, 26 September 2017
India	36,635	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 20 August 2017
Guangdong	310	Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 15 September 2017
Japan	177^#	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 26 September 2017
Lao PDR	8,550	World Health Organization, 26 September 2017
Macau	6"	Health Bureau of Macau, 22 August 2017
Malaysia	69,254	World Health Organization, 26 September 2017
Mexico	37,613	World Health Organization, 22 September 2017
Philippines	76,391	World Health Organization, 26 September 2017
Singapore	2,101	Singapore National Environment Agency, 28 September 2017
Sri Lanka	155,715	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 27 September 2017
Taiwan	5”	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 28 September 2017
Thailand	38,756	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 27 September 2017
Vietnam	124,986	World Health Organization, 26 September 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]

753,098 suspected cholera cases were reported in Yemen. 2,122 people died. This outbreak has become the world’s largest on record.

(Source: ProMED-mail 28 September 2017)

Taiwan: Dengue fever [Update]

Two additional indigenous dengue cases have been confirmed in northern Taiwan.

(Source: CDC, ROC (Taiwan) 28 September 2017)

Madagascar: Plague [Update]

Between 1 August and 25 September 2017, 93 suspected cases of plague have been reported in Madagascar, including 5 deaths.

(Source: ProMED-mail 27 September 2017)

Yemen: Cholera [Update]

738,212 suspected cholera cases were reported in Yemen. 2,117 people died.

(Source: ProMED-mail 27 September 2017)

Democratic Republic of Congo: Cholera [Update]

Since June 2017, more than 24,000 cases of cholera including 500 deaths were reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

(Source: ProMED-mail 27 September 2017)

USA: Cyclosporiasis [Update]

A total of 578 locally acquired cases of Cyclospora infection were reported in 36 states in USA. So far, no food source has been connected to the outbreak.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 26 September 2017)