Travel Health Service Year 2016

Current Travel Health News

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 01/01/2015 *

	Cumulative reported no. of cases since 01/01/2015	Source of information and date of report
Vietnam	97,476	World Health Organization, 23 February 2016

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	155	World Health Organization, 23 February 2016
Brazil	170,103	World Health Organization, 4 March 2016
Cambodia	562	World Health Organization, 23 February 2016
Guangdong	4	Health Department of Guangdong Province, 15 February 2016
India	2,085	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 29 February 2016
Japan	38^#	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 8 March 2016
Lao PDR	135	World Health Organization, 23 February 2016
Mexico	12,727	World Health Organization, 4 March 2016
Philippines	12,904	World Health Organization, 23 February 2016
Singapore	5,122^{^}	Singapore National Environment Agency, 10 March 2016
Sri Lanka	10,930	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 9 March 2016
Taiwan	370	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 10 March 2016
Thailand	10,787	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 8 March 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: Avian Influenza, human

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is today (March 14) closely monitoring an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) in the Mainland, and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.

According to the Health and Family Planning Commission of Hubei Province, the patient, who developed severe pneumonia and multi-organ failure, was an imported case from a neighboring province. The patient engages in poultry trading.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 14 March 2016)

Mainland: Avian Influenza, human

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is today (March 12) closely monitoring an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) in the Mainland, and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.

According to the Shanghai Municipal Commission Health and Family Planning, the 79-year-old female patient, who went to Shanghai from Anhui for medical treatment, was laboratory confirmed yesterday (March 11). She is currently under management. This case was classified as an imported case from Anhui.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 12 March 2016)

Mainland: Zika virus infection

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (March 11) received notification of an additional imported case of Zika virus infection on the Mainland from the National Health and Family Planning Commission and the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province. The CHP again urged the public to adopt strict anti-mosquito measures during travel. Pregnant women and those planning pregnancy should consider deferring their trip to the affected areas.

The case involves a 19-year-old man who lives in Venezuela. He arrived at Hong Kong International Airport on February 29 and shortly later on the same day travelled to Enping, Jiangmen, Guangdong, by bus via Shenzhen Bay Control Point. He remained afebrile during his travel. He developed a rash on March 9 and subsequently was laboratory confirmed to be an imported case of Zika Virus Infection by the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province. The patient is now hospitalised for isolation and management and is in stable condition.

To date, 13 imported cases of Zika Virus Infection have been notified on the Mainland.

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

Uruguay: Dengue Fever

An outbreak of dengue fever was reported in Uruguay with 570 suspected cases and 17 confirmed cases reported so far.

(Source: World Health Organisation 10 March 2016)

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome

Between 17 and 25 February 2016, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified World Health Organization of 7 additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus infection.

(Source: World Health Organisation 10 March 2016)

Mainland: Avian Influenza, human

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health today (March 10) received notification of an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) from the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel. The patient is a 37-year-old man who lives in Jieyang.

From 2013 to date, 708 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been reported by the Mainland health authorities.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 10 March 2016)