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 |
1,002 |
World Health Organization, 12 September 2019 |
Brazil |
1,993,271 |
World Health Organization, 26 September 2019 |
Guangdong, China |
2,005 |
Health Commission of Guangdong Province, 11 September 2019 |
India |
5,504 |
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 26 May 2019 |
Japan |
311^ |
National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 24 September 2019 |
Lao PDR |
27,904 |
World Health Organization, 12 Sepember 2019 |
Malaysia |
90,936 |
World Health Organization, 12 September 2019 |
Mexico |
100,510 |
World Health Organization, 26 September 2019 |
The Philippines |
249,332 |
World Health Organization, 12 September 2019 |
Singapore |
12,292@ |
Singapore National Environment Agency, 26 September 2019 |
Sri Lanka |
49,292 |
Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 26 September 2019 |
Taiwan, China |
481 |
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 26 September 2019 |
Thailand |
93,007 |
Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 24 September 2019 |
Vietnam |
124,751 |
World Health Organization, 12 September 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: Measles [Update]
30 September 2019
Malaysia: Dengue fever [Update]
30 September 2019
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]
30 September 2019
Southeast Asia: Dengue Fever [Update]
30 September 2019
From September 20 to 26, the CHP recorded two imported DF cases. The patients had been to the Philippines (one case) and Thailand (one case) during the incubation period.
As of September 26, 153 cases had been recorded this year, as compared with 109 cases recorded in the same period last year. All the cases recorded in 2019 were imported, mainly from Thailand (31), Malaysia (24) and Cambodia (20).
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. According to the World Health Organization, some Asian countries are experiencing unusually high numbers of DF cases for this time of year. The number of cases in several countries including Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam was about two to six times the number for the same period in 2018.
According to the Health Commission of Guangdong Province, Guangdong is still in the epidemic season of DF. In Taiwan, as of September 26, 481 cases (including 86 local cases) have been recorded in 2019.
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 (www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/df_imported_cases_and_overseas_figures_eng.pdf). Members of the public should stay vigilant and carry out effective mosquito prevention and control measures.
Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]
30 September 2019
According to the WHO, of the additional cases, four were male patients and two were female patients, with ages from 49 to 71. Among them, three had exposure to camels and consumed camel milk, and one had contact with a previously confirmed patient. Four had underlying illnesses and one has passed away.
According to the latest information, 2,464 cases have been reported to the WHO (with 850 deaths), including 2 245 in 10 Middle East countries comprising 2,073 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: West Nile Virus Infection
27 September 2019
26 September 2019
USA: Eastern Equine Encephalitis
26 September 2019
Thailand: Chikungunya fever [Update]
25 September 2019
25 September 2019
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]
25 September 2019