Current Travel Health News

The Hand, Foot and Mouth Diseases outbreaks had now spread country-wide in Vietnam, especially in Mekong Delta. Can Tho Children's Hospital, the only children's hospital in the Mekong Delta, had been overloaded with hundreds of Hand, Foot and Mouth Diseases infected patients over the recent days. During the first 3 months of the year, the hospital received nearly 4 500 children with the disease, 3 times higher than that of the same period last year. An Giang province had also reported 5 deaths which was the country's highest fatality rate.

The Hand, Foot and Mouth Diseases had already infected more than 28 000 children in Vietnam so far. There were total 18 deaths and, of them, 80% were under 3 years of age.

(Source: ProMED-mail 17 & 20 April 2012)

Pertussis (whooping cough) cases soared in Western Australia (WA). According to WA Health Department's diseases register, 1 505 cases of Pertussis had been recorded so far in 2012, 1 000 more than at the same time in 2011, and almost 1 400 more than in 2010.

(Source: ProMED-mail 18 April 2012)

Poliomyelitis remains endemic in 3 countries: Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan. So far in 2012, there had been 41 reported Poliomyelitis cases worldwide: 38 in these 3 endemic countries and 3 in Chad, a non-endemic country.

(Source: NaTHNaC 18 April 2012)

From 27 Jan 2012 to 10 Feb 2012, a total of 43 cases of Q fever were notified in the village of Nocaj, Srem county, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia.

(Source: ProMED-mail 13 April 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.