Current Travel Health News
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 01/01/2016 *
|
Cumulative reported no. |
Source of information and date of report |
Australia |
1,683 |
World Health Organization, 20 September 2016 |
Brazil |
1,426,005 |
World Health Organization, 27 September 2016 |
Cambodia |
1,771 |
World Health Organization, 20 September 2016 |
Guangdong |
309 |
Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 27 September 2016 |
India |
45,490 |
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 25 September 2016 |
Japan |
257# |
National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 27 September 2016 |
Lao PDR |
3,455 |
World Health Organization, 20 September 2016 |
Malaysia |
78,077 |
World Health Organization, 20 September 2016 |
Mexico |
77,940 |
World Health Organization, 27 September 2016 |
Philippines |
101,401 |
World Health Organization, 20 September 2016 |
Singapore |
11,986^ |
Singapore National Environment Agency, 29 September 2016 |
Sri Lanka |
41,824 |
Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 29 September 2016 |
Taiwan |
377” |
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 29 September 2016 |
Thailand |
44,396 |
Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 27 September 2016 |
Vietnam |
36,639 |
World Health Organization, 20 September 2016 |
Remarks:
* Dengue reporting systems vary by country.
“ Locally-acquired
^ 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.
Cote D'Ivoire: Avian Influenza, poultry
An outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza was reported in Cote D'Ivoire.
(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 3 October 2016)
So far this year, the United States has reported 86 imported cases of Chikungunya fever.
(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 3 October 2016)
In the past week, 210 new cases of Chikungunya fever were reported in Guatemala.
(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 3 October 2016)
Cases of leptospirosis were reported in Okinawa, Japan. The patients had swum in Okuma River in Kuigami Village.
(Source: ProMED-mail 3 October 2016)
Australia: Amoebic meningoencephalitis
Doctors across Australia are being urged to be on alert this summer for amoebic meningoencephalitis, which caused death in a 1-year-old boy in Queensland last year. The boy contracted the disease while swimming in a lake or river.
(Source: ProMED-mail 3 October 2016)
In the last 24 days, 24 fatal cases of Japanese encephalitis were reported in Odisha, India.
(Source: ProMED-mail 3 October 2016)
Thailand: Zika virus infection [Update]
The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is closely monitoring the latest situation of Zika Virus Infection in Thailand, and again urged the public to adopt strict anti-mosquito measures and safe sex during travel. Pregnant women and those planning pregnancy should not travel to affected areas.
According to the World Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia, Thailand has recently confirmed two cases of Zika-related microcephaly.
(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 1 October 2016)
The CDC of the United States posted Zika virus-related special travel considerations for 11 Southeastern Asian countries. The countries included in these considerations are Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), and Vietnam.
(Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 30 September 2016)
As of 16 Sept 2016, the number of hepatitis A cases in Hawaii, USA has reached 284. The outbreak has been linked to frozen scallops, imported from the Philippines.
(Source: ProMED-mail 30 September 2016)
A total of 3,695 cases of Chikungunya fever have been reported in Delhi, India till 26 Sep 2016.
(Source: ProMED-mail 28 September 2016)
Romania: West Nile Virus infection [Update]
77 cases of West Nile Virus infection were reported in Romania from May till 22 September this year.
(Source: ProMED-mail 27 September 2016)