Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (27 Janauary 2015 - 2 February 2015)
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 |
1,514 |
World Health Organization, 13 January 2015 |
Brazil |
591,080 |
World Health Organization, 19 January 2015 |
Cambodia |
3,543 |
World Health Organization, 13 January 2015 |
Guangdong
Taiwan |
45,171
15,813 |
Department of Health of Guangdong Province, 15 December 2014
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 30 January 2015 |
India |
36,486 |
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 31 December 2014 |
Lao PDR |
1,716 |
World Health Organization, 13 January 2015 |
Malaysia |
108,698 |
World Health Organization, 13 January 2015 |
Mexico |
124,943 |
World Health Organization, 19 January 2015 |
Philippines |
104,741 |
World Health Organization, 13 January 2015 |
Vietnam |
17,766 |
World Health Organization, 13 January 2015 |
Cumulative reported number of dengue cases since 01/01/2015 *
|
Cumulative reported no.
of cases since 01/01/2015 |
Source of information and date of report |
Japan |
16 |
National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 27 January 2015 |
Singapore |
914 |
Singapore National Environment Agency, 29 January 2015 |
Sri Lanka |
4,550 |
Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 29 January 2015 |
Thailand |
1,167 |
Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 28 January 2015 |
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.
Bulgaria: Avian Influenza, poultry
A suspected outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1
avian influenza was discovered in the village of Konstantinovo,
Bulgaria.
(Source: ProMED-mail 1 February 2015)
Canada: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (February 1) closely monitoring the second human case of
avian influenza A(H7N9) reported by
Canada, and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 1 February 2015)
Panama: Hantavrius infection
(Source: ProMED-mail 31 January 2015)
India: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever
(Source: ProMED-mail 31 January 2015)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (January 31) closely monitoring two additional human cases of
avian influenza A(H7N9) notified by the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province (GDHFPC), and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel. According to the GDHFPC, a male patient aged 48 (in Jieyang) died while a female patient aged nine (in Shanwei) is in stable condition and was hospitalised for management.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 31 January 2015)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 2,920 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 1,913 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 30 January 2015)
Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 10,561 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 3,216 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 30 January 2015)
Egypt: Avian Influenza, human
The Health Ministry of
Egypt announced on 27 January 2015 that 31 people have been infected with H5N1
avian influenza and 10 have died from the disease.
(Source: ProMED-mail 30 January 2015)
Nigeria: Avian Influenza, human
In
Nigeria, 11 out of the 36 states have reported cases of H5N1
avian influenza.
(Source: ProMED-mail 30 January 2015)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 2,921 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 1,911 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 29 January 2015)
Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]
The total number of
Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in
Liberia is 8,643 including 3,700 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 29 January 2015)
Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 10,537 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 3,207 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 29 January 2015)
Madagascar: Plague
As of 27 January 2015, 213 cases of
plague has been reported in
Madagascar since August 2014 and 57 people died.
(Source: Centers for Disease Control, R.O.C. (Taiwan) 29 January 2015)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is closely monitoring three additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) notified by the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province (GDHFPC), and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel. According to the GDHFPC, two male patients aged 21 (in Shenzhen) and 59 (in Meizhou) and a female patient aged 42 (in Foshan) were hospitalised for management. The male patients are in a stable condition while the female patient is in a critical condition.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 29 January 2015)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is closely monitoring two additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) notified by the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province (GDHFPC), and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel. According to the GDHFPC, the two male patients aged 83 and 4 respectively in Meizhou and Heyuan were hospitalised for management in critical and stable condition.
The CHP also received notification from the National Health and Family Planning Commission of a human case of avian influenza A(H5N1) affecting a woman aged 37 in Jiangsu.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 28 January 2015)
Egypt: Avian Influenza, human
The Health Ministry of Egypt announced on 27 January 2015 that a 31-year-old woman died of H5N1 avian flu, and reported two new cases of infection on 28 January 2015.
(Source: ProMED-mail 28 January 2015)
Canada: Avian Influenza, human
Health authorities in Canada reported
that a British Columbia resident has been diagnosed with the 1st case of H7N9 avian flu in North America. The individual recently returned from China.
(Source: ProMED-mail 26 January 2015)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 2,917 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 1,910 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 27 January 2015)
Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]
The total number of
Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in
Liberia is 8,622 including 3,686 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 27 January 2015)
Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 10,518 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 3,199 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 27 January 2015)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is closely monitoring two additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) notified by the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province (GDHFPC), and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel. According to the GDHFPC, the two female patients aged 75 and 62 respectively in Shenzhen and Meizhou have underlying illnesses and both were hospitalised for management in critical condition.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 28 January 2015)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 2,873 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 1,880 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 23 January 2015)
Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]
The total number of
Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in
Liberia is 8,524 including 3,636 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 23 January 2015)
Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 10,400 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 3,159 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 23 January 2015)
Oman: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]
(Source: World Health Organization 23 January 2015)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is closely monitoring two additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) notified by the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province (GDHFPC), and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel. According to the GDHFPC, the male patient aged 52 in Jieyang and the female patient aged 20 in Shanwei were hospitalised for management. The male patient is in critical condition while the female patient in serious condition.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 26 January 2015)