Current Travel Health News

A 7-year-old girl who lived in Colorado, USA, was confirmed to be infected by plague. She was admitted to hospital on 24 August 2012 and in critical condition. She had history of contacting dead animal body.

(Source: ProMED-mail 28 August 2012)

Public health authority of Quebec, Canada, announced that Legionnaires' disease had caused 9 deaths on 29 August 2012. To date, 141 people have contracted the disease in Quebec City since 31 Jul 2012.

(Source: Promed Mail 27, 30 August 2012)

1590 cases of human West Nile Virus infection including 66 deaths were reported in The United States of America as on 28 August 2012. 70 per cent of the cases were reported from Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Michigan.

Ontario, Canada, reported that as of 28 Aug 2012, there have been 82 people who have been confirmed or are deemed probable West Nile Virus infection cases in the province this year.

(Source: ProMED-mail 30 August 2012)

On 28 August 2012, the Democratic Republic of Congo Ministry of Health reported that 24 cases (including suspected and confirmed) and 11 deaths have been reported in the outbreak of Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever in the Province Orientale.

(Source: World Health Organization 30 August 2012)

Since the beginning of the year, Sierra Leone has recorded 13, 934 cases of Cholera, with 232 deaths.

(Source: WHO 30 August 2012)

On 30 August, 2012 the California Department of Public Health, USA, reported six confirmed cases of Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in Californian tourists who stayed in Yosemite National Park in June to July 2012. Two patient were dead.

(Source: California Department of Public Health 30 August 2012)

As widespread violent clashes occurred in many cities across Syria, including Daraa, Latakia, Damascus, Baniyas, Aleppo, Homs and Hama, resulting in serious casualties, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has raised the Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) for Syria to Black. Residents are urged to avoid all travel to the country. Those already there should attend to their personal safety and avoid protests and large gatherings of people.

For more information, please visit the OTA webpage.

(Source: Security Bureau, Government of Hong Kong SAR 26 April 2011)

Following the hostage taking incident in the Philippines which had caused casualties, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has raised the Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) for the Philippines to Black. Hong Kong residents are urged to avoid all travel to the Philippines. Those already there should attend to their personal safety and stay alert.

For more information, please visit the OTA webpage.

(Source: Security Bureau, Government of Hong Kong SAR 20 September 2010)

For more information, please visit the World Health Organization webpage.