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 01/01/2017 *
|
Cumulative reported no. |
Source of information and date of report |
Australia |
556 |
World Health Organization, 20 June 2017 |
Brazil |
144,326 |
World Health Organization, 23 June 2017 |
Cambodia |
535 |
World Health Organization, 20 June 2017 |
India |
11,402 |
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 31 May 2017 |
Guangdong |
42 |
Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 14 June 2017 |
Japan |
81# |
National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 27 June 2017 |
Lao PDR |
2,138 |
World Health Organization, 20 June 2017 |
Malaysia |
43,807 |
World Health Organization, 20 June 2017 |
Mexico |
3,782 |
World Health Organization, 23 June 2017 |
Philippines |
33,760 |
World Health Organization, 20 June 2017 |
Singapore |
1,411 |
Singapore National Environment Agency, 29 June 2017 |
Sri Lanka |
69,380 |
Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 23 June 2017 |
Taiwan |
0” |
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 29 June 2017 |
Thailand |
16,790 |
Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 27 June 2017 |
Vietnam |
29,701 |
World Health Organization, 20 June 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.
Romania: Meningococcal meningitis
Central & South America: Chikungunya fever [Update]
Thailand: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease [Update]
Hong Kong: Japanese Encephalitis
Initial enquiries revealed that the 38-year-old patient had no travel history in the incubation period. He lives in Tin Shui (I) Estate, Tin Shui Wai. His home contacts have remained asymptomatic and been put under medical surveillance.
Mainland: Avian influenza, human [Update]
The three male and three female patients, aged from 4 to 72, had onset from June 11 to 23. Four of them are from Yunnan and one each from Guizhou and Shanxi. Among them, five were known to have exposure to poultry or poultry markets.
Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]