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 |
2,106 |
World Health Organization, 3 January 2017 |
Brazil |
1,452,284 |
World Health Organization, 12 December 2016 |
Cambodia |
1,771 |
World Health Organization, 13 December 2016 |
Guangdong |
545 |
Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 5 January 2017 |
India |
111,880 |
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 31 December 2016 |
Japan |
338# |
National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 13 January 2017 |
Lao PDR |
5,373 |
World Health Organization, 3 January 2017 |
Malaysia |
100,028 |
World Health Organization, 3 January 2017 |
Mexico |
124,580 |
World Health Organization, 12 December 2016 |
Philippines |
176,411 |
World Health Organization, 3 January 2017 |
Singapore |
13,104^ |
Singapore National Environment Agency, 31 December 2016 |
Sri Lanka |
51,823 |
Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 2 January 2017 |
Taiwan |
380” |
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 12 January 2017 |
Thailand |
62,405 |
Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 28 December 2016 |
Vietnam |
79,204 |
World Health Organization, 3 January 2017 |
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.
Mainland: Avian influenza, human [Update]
The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is closely monitoring two additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Guizhou and Hubei, 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 Guizhou Province, the patient, aged 79 from Qiandongnan Prefecture, has been hospitalised.
The Health and Family Planning Commission of Hubei Province reported that the male patient, aged 38 from Wuhan and in a critical condition, had exposure to a poultry market.
(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 16 January 2017)
Pakistan: Chikungunya Fever [Update]
So far, a total of 510 cases of Chikungunya fever have been reported in Saudabad and Lyari areas of Karachi, Pakistan.
(Source: ProMED-mail 16 January 2017)
Recently, 2 possible cases of Hantavirus infectionwere reported in Los Lagos region, Chile.
(Source: ProMED-mail 15 January 2017)
On 13 January 2017, more than 100 suspected cases of yellow fever were reported in Minas Gerais State in south-eastern Brazil. So far, at least 10 people have died.
(Source: ProMED-mail 14 January 2017)
Ukraine: Avian influenza, wild birds and poultry
Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N8) have been reported in Ukraine.
(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 13 January 2017)
Poland: Avian influenza, poultry
Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N8) have been reported in the southern part of Poland.
(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 13 January 2017)
Slovakia: Avian Influenza, wild birds
Outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza were reported in Slovakia.
(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 13 January 2017)
India: Avian Influenza, poultry
Outbreaks of H5N8 avian influenza were reported in Kerala state, India.
(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 13 January 2017)
South Africa: Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever
A confirmed case of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic Fever was reported in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.
(Source: ProMED-mail 13 January 2017)
The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health received notification of an imported human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) from the Health Bureau of Macau on January 12, and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.
The female patient, aged 72 with underlying illnesses, has developed fever and cough since January 8 in Zhongshan. She returned to Macau on January 10 and was hospitalised for the management of pneumonia. She was in a stable condition. Enquiries revealed that she kept chickens in her residence in Zhongshan and had visited wet markets with live chickens there.
(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 13 January 2017)
Hong Kong: Avian influenza, human [Update]
The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health reported that the suspected imported human case of avian influenza A(H7) affecting a boy aged ten on January 10 had been laboratory confirmed. This is the fourth human H7N9 case in Hong Kong this winter.
(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 11 January 2017)
This year, as of January 8, a total of 13 diarrhea clusters have been reported in Taiwan and a total of 679 people developed symptoms. Of the 13 clusters, 2 clusters are tested positive for norovirus.
(Source: Centers for Disease Control, R.O.C. (Taiwan) 10 January 2017)
Brazil reported 6 human cases of yellow fever in 2016.
(Source: World Health Organization 10 January 2017)
Pakistan: Chikungunya Fever [Update]
So far, 468 cases of Chikungunya fever have been reported in Sindh, Pakistan.
(Source: ProMED-mail 10 January 2017)
Mainland: Avian influenza, human [Update]
The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is closely monitoring an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Guizhou, 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 Guizhou Province, the patient aged 52 from Qiannan was involved in poultry selling before onset and has been hospitalised.
(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 10 January 2017)
Hong Kong: Avian influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is investigating a suspected imported human case of avian influenza A(H7) in Hong Kong, and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.
The boy, aged 10 with good past health, developed fever, cough and vomiting on January 8. He attended the Accident and Emergency Department of North Lantau Hospital in the past two days and was referred to Princess Margaret Hospital for admission on January 9. The patient has been in stable condition all along. He was discharged this afternoon but has been re-admitted to hospital for isolation tonight.
(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 10 January 2017)