Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (1 April 2014 - 7 April 2014)
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 01/01/2014 *
|
Cumulative reported no.
of cases since 01/01/2014 |
Source of information and date of report |
Australia |
455 |
World Health Organization, 25 March 2014 |
Brazil |
162,740 |
World Health Organization, 1 April 2014 |
Guangdong
Taiwan |
2
56 |
Department of Health of Guangdong Province, 14 March 2014
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 7 April 2014 |
India |
1,203 |
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 28 February 2014 |
Lao PDR |
250 |
World Health Organization, 25 March 2014 |
Malaysia |
21,967 |
World Health Organization, 25 March 2014 |
Mexico |
3,298 |
World Health Organization, 1 April 2014 |
New Caledonia |
106 |
World Health Organization, 25 March 2014 |
Philippines |
11,019 |
World Health Organization, 25 March 2014 |
Singapore |
3,973 |
Singapore National Environment Agency, 4 April 2014 |
Sri Lanka |
6,856 |
Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 4 April 2014 |
Thailand |
4,175 |
Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 1 April 2014 |
Vietnam |
2,373 |
World Health Organization, 25 March 2014 |
Remark:
* Dengue reporting systems vary by country.
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.
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is closely monitoring, as of yesterday (April 5), two additional human cases of
avian influenza A(H7N9) in Jiangsu according to the latest reports of the Mainland health authorities. A total of 401 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been confirmed in the Mainland, including Zhejiang (138 cases), Guangdong (98 cases), Jiangsu (48 cases), Shanghai (41 cases), Fujian (22 cases), Hunan (20 cases), Anhui (11 cases), Jiangxi (six cases), Beijing (four cases), Henan (four cases), Guangxi (three cases), Shandong (three cases), Guizhou (one case, imported from Zhejiang), Hebei (one case) and Jilin (one case).
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 6 April 2014)
Egypt: Avian Influenza, human
(Source: ProMED-mail 6 April 2014)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) yesterday (April 4) received notification of an additional human case of
avian influenza A(H7N9) in Heyuan. A total of 399 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been confirmed in the Mainland, including Zhejiang (138 cases), Guangdong (98 cases), Jiangsu (46 cases), Shanghai (41 cases), Fujian (22 cases), Hunan (20 cases), Anhui (11 cases), Jiangxi (six cases), Beijing (four cases), Henan (four cases), Guangxi (three cases), Shandong (three cases), Guizhou (one case, imported from Zhejiang), Hebei (one case) and Jilin (one case)
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 5 April 2014)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
As at 4 April 2014, the Ministry of Health of Guinea has reported 143 clinically compatible cases of
Ebola virus disease, including 86 deaths. Cases have been reported from Conakry, Guekedou, Macenta, Kissidougou, Dabola and Djingaraye.
(Source: World Health Organization 5 April 2014)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is closely monitoring, as of yesterday (April 3), two additional human cases of
avian influenza A(H7N9) respectively in Shenzhen and Anhui according to the latest reports of the Mainland health authorities. A total of 398 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been confirmed in the Mainland, including Zhejiang (138 cases), Guangdong (97 cases), Jiangsu (46 cases), Shanghai (41 cases), Fujian (22 cases), Hunan (20 cases), Anhui (11 cases), Jiangxi (six cases), Beijing (four cases), Henan (four cases), Guangxi (three cases), Shandong (three cases), Guizhou (one case, imported from Zhejiang), Hebei (one case) and Jilin (one case).
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 4 April 2014)
Malaysia: Dengue Fever
As of weeks 12 of 2014, 23 633 cases of
dengue fever cases were recorded in
Malaysia and were 4 fold more than that of the same period of previous year
. The most affected areas were Selangor and Kelantan.
(Source: CDC, Taiwan 3 April 2014)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
As at 1 April 2014, the Ministry of Health of Guinea has reported 127 clinically compatible cases of
Ebola virus disease, including 83 deaths. Cases have been reported from Conakry, Guekedou, Macenta, Kissidougou, Dabola and Djingaraye.
(Source: World Health Organization 2 April 2014)
Japan: Measles
In
Japan, there were 206
measles cases reported in weeks12 of 2014.
(Source: National Institute of Infectious Diseases 28 March 2014)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is closely monitoring, as of yesterday (April 2), two additional human cases of
avian influenza A(H7N9) respectively in Guangzhou and Jiangsu according to the latest reports of the Mainland health authorities. A total of 396 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been confirmed in the Mainland, including Zhejiang (138 cases), Guangdong (96 cases), Jiangsu (46 cases), Shanghai (41 cases), Fujian (22 cases), Hunan (20 cases), Anhui (10 cases), Jiangxi (six cases), Beijing (four cases), Henan (four cases), Guangxi (three cases), Shandong (three cases), Guizhou (one case, imported from Zhejiang), Hebei (one case) and Jilin (one case).
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 3 April 2014)
United Arab Emirates: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
The Department of Health (DH) is today (April 2) closely monitoring an additional case of
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the United Arab Emirates. This brings the latest global number of confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome to 207, including 87 deaths.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 2 April 2014)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
As at 31 March 2014, the Ministry of Health of Guinea has reported 122 clinically compatible cases of
Ebola virus disease, including 80 deaths. Cases have been reported from Conakry, Guekedou, Macenta, Kissidougou, Dabola and Djingaraye.
(Source: World Health Organization 1 April 2014)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (April 1) received notification from the National Health and Family Planning Commission of an additional human case of
avian influenza A(H7N9) in Hunan affecting a man aged 65. A total of 394 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been confirmed in the Mainland, including Zhejiang (138 cases), Guangdong (95 cases), Jiangsu (45 cases), Shanghai (41 cases), Fujian (22 cases), Hunan (20 cases), Anhui (10 cases), Jiangxi (six cases), Beijing (four cases), Henan (four cases), Guangxi (three cases), Shandong (three cases), Guizhou (one case, imported from Zhejiang), Hebei (one case) and Jilin (one case).
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 1 April 2014)
Laos: Avian Influenza, poultry
An outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1
avian influenza virus infection was reported in Xayabury,
Laos. Of 5142 birds, 457 were found dead and 547 were destroyed.
(Source: World Organisation for Animal Health 31 March 2014)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
As of 28 March, the total number of suspected and confirmed cases in the on-going
Ebola virus disease outbreak in Guinea has increased to 112, including 70 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 30 March 2014)
Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Foya remains the only district in
Liberia that has reported confirmed or suspected cases of
Ebola virus disease.
(Source: World Health Organization 30 March 2014)
Thailand: Chickenpox
1 January 2014 - 23 March 2014, a total of 37435 cases of
chickenpox were reported in
Thailand.
(Source: Ministry of Public Health, Thailand 25 March 2014)
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Cholera
From 01 January - 09 March 2014, a total of 4 916
cholera cases with 100 deaths were reported in
Democratic Republic of the Congo with Katanga and Sud-Kivu provinces being the most affected.
(Source: World Health Organization 24 March 2014)
Nigeria: Cholera
From 01 January - 09 March 2014, a total of 6 149 suspected
cholera cases including 67 deaths were reported in
Nigeria.
(Source: World Health Organization 24 March 2014)
Dominica: Chikungunya Fever
(Source: ProMED-mail 23 March 2014)