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
Australia	1,682	World Health Organization, 26 January 2016
Brazil	1,649,008	World Health Organization, 15 January 2016
Cambodia	15,412	World Health Organization, 26 January 2016
Guangdong	1,312	Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China, 9 October 2015
India	97,740	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 31 December 2015
Mexico	219,593	World Health Organization, 15 January 2016
Philippines	169,435	World Health Organization, 26 January 2016
Sri Lanka	29,777	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 14 January 2016
Vietnam	97,476	World Health Organization, 26 January 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
Japan	17^#	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 26 January 2016
Lao PDR	43	World Health Organization, 26 January 2016
Singapore	2,223^{^}	Singapore National Environment Agency, 28 January 2016
Taiwan	337	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 28 January 2016
Thailand	2,752	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 27 January 2016

Remark:
* Dengue reporting systems vary by country.
^ Cumulative local 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.

United States of America: Zika virus infection

On 25 January 2016, the National IHR Focal Point for the United States of America notified WHO of the first laboratory-confirmed cases of Zika virus infection in St. Croix, one of the three main islands in the United States Virgin Islands.

(Source: World Health Organization 29 January 2016)

Laos: Poliomyelitis

On 17 January 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Lao People’s Democratic Republic notified WHO of 2 additional cases of vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1.

(Source: World Health Organization 29 January 2016)

Dominican Republic: Zika virus infection

On 23 January 2016, the National IHR Focal Point for the Dominican Republic notified WHO of 10 laboratory-confirmed case of Zika virus infection.

(Source: World Health Organization 27 January 2016)

Nigeria: Lassa fever [Update]

The National IHR Focal Point of Nigeria has notified WHO of outbreaks of Lassa fever in the country. Between August 2015 and 23 January 2016, 159 suspected cases of Lassa fever, including 82 deaths, were reported across 19 states.

(Source: World Health Organization 27 January 2016)

United Arab Emirates and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is closely monitoring six additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), including one death, reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and again urged the public to pay special attention to safety during travel, taking due consideration of health risks of the places of visit.

According to the WHO, the patients comprise five men and a woman aged between 50 and 85. The two patients from the UAE comprise a 73-year-old man and an 85-year-old woman. The male patient had frequent camel contact and passed away on January 25, and the asymptomatic female patient was a contact of the deceased. The four patients in the KSA comprise two men aged 50 and 59 in critical condition, and two men aged 54 and 85 in stable condition. All of them had frequent camel contact or had consumed raw camel milk.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 27 January 2016)

Thailand: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is closely monitoring an additional case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by Thailand, and again urged the public to pay special attention to safety during travel, taking due consideration of health risks of the places of visit.

According to the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, the case affects a male national aged 71 from Oman who travelled to Bangkok, Thailand, on January 22 and was hospitalised. Contact tracing is underway.

This is the second MERS case in Thailand.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 26 January 2016)

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

On 24 Jan 2016, there were 2 newly confirmed infections of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in Alkhumra, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Both had a history of contact with camels.

(Source: Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 25 January 2016)

Americas : Zika virus infection

Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that is new to the Americas. Since Brazil reported the first cases of local transmission of the virus in May 2015, it has spread to 21 countries and territories of the Americas (as of 23 January 2016). Pan American Health Organization anticipates that Zika virus will continue to spread and will likely reach all countries and territories of the region where Aedes mosquitoes are found.

(Source: Pan American Health Organization 24 January 2016)

Egypt: Influenza

Two more people died of swine flu 3 days ago in Beheira, Egypt. The total number of deaths from the virus rose to 10.

(Source: ProMED-mail 24 January 2016)