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 01/01/2019 *
|
Cumulative reported no. |
Source of information and date of report |
Australia |
741 |
World Health Organization, 18 July 2019 |
Brazil |
1,281,759 |
World Health Organization, 25 July 2019 |
Guangdong, China |
394 |
Health Commission of Guangdong Province, 12 July 2019 |
India |
5,504 |
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 26 May 2019 |
Japan |
172^ |
National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 23 July 2019 |
Lao PDR |
11,455 |
World Health Organization, 18 July 2019 |
Malaysia |
68,950 |
World Health Organization, 18 July 2019 |
Mexico |
32,856 |
World Health Organization, 25 July 2019 |
The Philippines |
106,630 |
World Health Organization, 18 July 2019 |
Singapore |
8,419@ |
Singapore National Environment Agency, 25 July 2019 |
Sri Lanka |
31,950 |
Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 25 July 2019 |
Taiwan, China |
312 |
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 25 July 2019 |
Thailand |
53,699 |
Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 23 July 2019 |
Vietnam |
81,132 |
World Health Organization, 18 July 2019 |
* Dengue reporting systems vary by country/area.
@Cumulative cases since 30 December 2018.
^ Cumulative cases since 31 December 2018.
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.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]
30 July 2019
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Measles [Update]
30 July 2019
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]
29 July 2019
Bangladesh: Dengue fever [Update]
29 July 2019
Southeast Asia: Dengue Fever & Chikungunya Fever [Update]
29 July 2019
A. Dengue fever
From July 19 to 25, the CHP confirmed 11 imported DF cases. The patients had been to Cambodia (five cases, including two epidemiologically linked cases), Indonesia (three cases), Thailand (two cases) and Nepal (one case) during the incubation period.
As of July 25, 95 cases had been recorded this year, as compared with 51 cases recorded in the same period last year. All the cases recorded in 2019 were imported, mainly from Malaysia (17), Thailand (17) and Indonesia (16).
The CHP has been closely monitoring the latest DF situation in neighbouring and overseas areas. DF is endemic in many tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Detailed information on the latest DF situation in Hong Kong as well as neighbouring and overseas countries and areas this year has been uploaded to the CHP's website (https://www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/df_imported_cases_and_overseas_figures_eng.pdf).
B. Chikungunya fever
From July 19 to 25, the CHP confirmed one CF case. The patient had been to Thailand during the incubation period. As of July 25, five confirmed CF cases had been recorded this year, all of which were imported cases from Thailand.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]
26 July 2019
Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]
26 July 2019
According to the WHO, of the additional cases, six were male patients and one was a female patient, with ages from 28 to 71. Among them, four had exposure to camels and consumed camel milk, and one was a health care worker who had contact with a previously confirmed patient. Four had underlying illnesses and one has passed away.
According to the latest information, 2,449 cases have been reported to the WHO (with 845 deaths), including 2,230 in 10 Middle East countries comprising 2,058 in Saudi Arabia, 87 in the United Arab Emirates, 28 in Jordan, 24 in Oman, 19 in Qatar, six in Iran, four in Kuwait, two in Lebanon, and one each in Yemen and Bahrain.
For more information on Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/26511.html
Bangladesh: Dengue fever [Update]
26 July 2019
26 July 2019
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]
25 July 2019
Singapore: Dengue Fever [Update]
25 July 2019
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]
24 July 2019
Taiwan, China: Japanese encephalitis [Update]
24 July 2019