Current Travel Health News

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 01/01/2016 *

	Cumulative reported no. of cases since 01/01/2016	Source of information and date of report
Australia	1,195	World Health Organization, 28 June 2016
Brazil	1,244,583	World Health Organization, 1 July 2016
Cambodia	1,771	World Health Organization, 28 June 2016
Guangdong	48	Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 15 June 2016
India	8,307	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 28 June 2016
Japan	153#	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 5 July 2016
Lao PDR	840	World Health Organization, 28 June 2016
Malaysia	1,803	World Health Organization, 28 June 2016
Mexico	32,694	World Health Organization, 1 July 2016
Philippines	33,748	World Health Organization, 28 June 2016
Singapore	9,297^	Singapore National Environment Agency, 7 July 2016
Sri Lanka	22,483	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 7 July 2016
Taiwan	373	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 7 July 2016
Thailand	21,414	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 5 July 2016
Vietnam	25,441	World Health Organization, 28 June 2016

Remark:
* Dengue reporting systems vary by country.
^ Cumulative cases since 3 January 2016
# Cumulative cases since 4 January 2016.

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: Zika virus infection [Update]

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health received notification of an additional imported case of Zika Virus Infection from the National Health and Family Planning Commission and Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, and again urged the public to adopt strict anti-mosquito measures and safe sex during travel. Based on recommendations by the World Health Organization, CHP has extended the recommended period of applying insect repellent upon arriving from Zika-affected areas from 14 days to at least 21 days.

The patient is a 40-year-old woman who lives in Suriname. She arrived at Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou on July 9, and reported that she had developed skin rash and headache on July 8. The symptoms of her infection are mild and the patient was then hospitalised for isolation and management. She did not pass through Hong Kong.。

To date, 22 imported cases of Zika Virus Infection have been notified in the Mainland.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 11 July 2016)

 

USA: Tularaemia

A fatal case of tularaemia was reported in Coconino County, USA.

(Source: ProMED-mail 8 July 2016)

 

Canada: Avian Influenza, poultry

An outbreak of low pathogenic H5 avian influenza was reported in a duck farm in Ontario, Canada.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 8 July 2016)

 

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is closely monitoring 13 additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) reported to the World Health Organization by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and again urged the public to pay special attention to safety during travel, taking due consideration of health risks in the places they visit.

The patients are eight men and five women aged from 25 to 84, with five having underlying illnesses. One patient has passed away, two are in a critical condition, eight are in a stable condition and two are still asymptomatic. Three of them (two are healthcare workers) either worked in or were admitted to the hospital where a MERS outbreak is currently occurring. Four (two are healthcare workers) had contact with previously confirmed cases including cases of the above hospital outbreak. Moreover, one has a history of frequent contact with camels and consumption of their raw milk. The remaining five patients' sources of infection are still under investigation.

In addition, three previously confirmed patients died.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 7 July 2016)

 

Brazil: Chikungunya fever

So far this year, Brazil reported 122,762 cases of chikungunya fever in total.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 6 July 2016)

 

Cameroon: Avian Influenza, poultry

Outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza were reported in Cameroon.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 6 July 2016)