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	1,030	World Health Organization, 2 January 2018
Brazil	219,040	World Health Organization, 27 October 2017
Cambodia	3,195	World Health Organization, 2 January 2018
India	157,220	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 24 December 2017
Guangdong	1,704	Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 15 December 2017
Japan	245^#	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 12 January 2018
Lao PDR	11,039	World Health Organization, 2 January 2018
Macau	6"	Health Bureau of Macau, 27 October 2017
Malaysia	82,840	World Health Organization, 2 January 2018
Mexico	58,697	World Health Organization, 27 October 2017
Philippines	117,654	World Health Organization, 2 January 2018
Sri Lanka	185,688	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 11 January 2018
Thailand	52,048	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 4 January 2018
Vietnam	183,287	World Health Organization, 2 January 2018

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

Cumulative reported number of dengue cases since 01/01/2018 *

Singapore	128^@	Singapore National Environment Agency, 11 January 2018
Taiwan	0”	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 11 January 2018

* Dengue reporting systems vary by country/area.
@ Cumulative cases since 31 December 2017.
“ Locally-acquired

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.

Taiwan: Avian Influenza, poultry

Agriculture officials of Taiwan reported H5N2 outbreaks in three poultry farms of Yunlin County.

(Source: The World Health Organization 15 January 2018)

India: Avian Influenza, poultry

India reported its first highly pathogenic H5N8 outbreak this year in village birds in Karnataka state.

(Source: The World Health Organization 15 January 2018)

South Africa: Avian Influenza, wild birds

South Africa found the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 virus in wild terns.

(Source: ProMED-mail 15 January 2018)

Netherlands: Yellow Fever

Netherlands reported a confirmed case of yellow fever virus infection in a male patient who had returned from Brazil on 8 January 2018. The patient had no history of yellow fever virus vaccination and had stayed in the state of Sao Paulo since December 2017.

(Source: ProMED-mail 15 January 2018)

USA: Rabies

Florida of USA reported 2 human rabies deaths in recent months. Both cases contracted Rabies via a bat bite.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 15 January 2018)

Zambia: Cholera [Update]

The total number of Cholera cases in Zambia has increased by almost 7-fold in the past 4 weeks. As of 8 January 2018, 2,672 cases including 63 deaths have been reported.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 15 January 2018)

Tanzania: Cholera [Update]

As of 7 January 2018, 33,421 cases of Cholera have been reported across Tanzania in this outbreak, including 542 deaths. Tanzania mainland has reported 86% of the total cases.

(Source: The World Health Organization 12 January 2018)

Japan: Avian Influenza, poultry

A highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza - H5N6 – was detected among poultry in a farm in Kagawa, Japan.

(Source: ProMED-mail 14 January 2018)

Mainland: Avian Influenza, human [Update]

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is monitoring a notification from the National Health and Family Planning Commission that an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) was recorded from January 6 to 12 in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and strongly urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.

A 72-year-old male patient in Korla City died on January 10. He had contact with live poultry before the onset of symptoms.

"Based on the seasonal pattern, the activity of avian influenza viruses is expected to increase in winter. The public should avoid contact with poultry, birds and their droppings and should not visit live poultry markets and farms to prevent avian influenza," a spokesman for the CHP said.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 12 January 2018)

United Kingdom: Avian Influenza, wild birds

A highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza - H5N6 – was detected among wild birds in Dorset, United Kingdom.

(Source: ProMED-mail 11 January 2018)

South Korea: Avian Influenza, poultry [Update]

An outbreak of avian influenza was reported at a duck farm in South Korea's southwestern region.

(Source: ProMED-mail 9 January 2018)

Germany: Avian Influenza, wild birds

A highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza - H5N6 - has been identified from wild birds in Bayern, Germany.

(Source: ProMED-mail 9 January 2018)

Brazil: Yellow Fever [Update]

Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil, confirmed the first two human deaths from yellow fever in the region.

(Source: ProMED-mail 9 January 2018)