Travel Health Service Year 2017

Current Travel Health News

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.
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

1,752

Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 15 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

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 *

Japan

2

National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 17 January 2018

Singapore

188@

Singapore National Environment Agency, 18 January 2018

Taiwan

0”

CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 18 January 2018

Thailand

279

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 17 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.


South Africa: Listeriosis [Update]

At least 81 people have died in the ongoing outbreak in South Africa. A total of 767 confirmed listeriosis cases were recorded across 9 provinces.

(Source: ProMED-mail 22 January 2018)

 

Madagascar: Plague [Update]

A man living in Ankazobe, Madagascar was suspected suffering from bubonic plague. Since the beginning of the season (August – April), this District has recorded 9 plague cases, including 4 deaths.

(Source: ProMED-mail 22 January 2018)

 

Ukraine: Measles

The Ukraine Health officials have reported 1,285 cases of measles in the first two weeks of 2018. Eight death cases were recorded since the start of this measles outbreak.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 21 January 2018)

 

Serbia: Measles

Serbia has reported 1,227 measles cases since October 2017. Vaccination with the combined measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is recommended for travellers to Serbia.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 21 January 2018)

 

Madagascar: Food Poisoning, Marine Turtle Toxin

Madagascar's health service ministry reported that 8 children have died due to acute food poisoning, which was associated with eating sea turtle meat.

(Source: ProMED-mail 20 January 2018)

 

Brazil: Yellow Fever [Update]

Brazil has reported 34 lab-confirmed cases since September 1, 2017, including 20 deaths. The confirmed cases were reported from the states of Sao Paulo (20 cases, 11 deaths), Minas Gerais (11 cases, 7 deaths), Rio de Janeiro (2 cases, 1 death) and in the Federal District (1 fatal case).

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 19 January 2018)

 

Zimbabwe: Typhoid Fever [Update]

Zimbabwean health officials said that at least 200 cases of typhoid fever have been recorded in Harare, Zimbabwe.

(Source: ProMED-mail 18 January 2018)

 

Yemen: Cholera [Update]

The cumulative total of suspected cholera cases in Yemen from 27 Apr 2017 to 7 Jan 2018 is 1,029,717.

(Source: ProMED-mail 18 January 2018)

 

South Sudan: Rift Valley Fever

South Sudan recently reported Rift Valley fever outbreak in a village of Yirol East County. Three patients died from their infections in December 2017. Health Authorities had also reported evidences of hemorrhagic disease in goats.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 16 January 2018)

 

Nigeria: Lassa Fever [Update]

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control recently reported four cases of Lassa fever among health care workers in Ebonyi State in southeastern Nigeria, with three passing away. Between weeks 1 and 51 (2017), 728 suspected Lassa fever cases and 71 deaths were reported

(Source: Outbreak News Today 16 January 2018 and ProMED-mail 15 January 2018)