Travel Health Service Year 2017

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 01/01/2017 *

	Cumulative reported no. of cases since 01/01/2017	Source of information and date of report
Australia	859	World Health Organization, 7 November 2017
Brazil	219,040	World Health Organization, 27 October 2017
Cambodia	2,884	World Health Organization, 7 November 2017
India	129,329	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 12 November 2017
Guangdong	642	Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 13 October 2017
Japan	223^#	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 14 November 2017
Lao PDR	10,302	World Health Organization, 7 November 2017
Macau	6"	Health Bureau of Macau, 27 October 2017
Malaysia	74,348	World Health Organization, 7 November 2017
Mexico	58,697	World Health Organization, 27 October 2017
Philippines	97,287	World Health Organization, 7 November 2017
Singapore	2,498	Singapore National Environment Agency, 16 November 2017
Sri Lanka	169,782	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 16 November 2017
Taiwan	10”	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 16 November 2017
Thailand	45,881	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 15 November 2017
Vietnam	160,567	World Health Organization, 7 November 2017

Remarks:
* Dengue reporting systems vary by country.
“ Locally-acquired
# Cumulative cases since 2 January 2017.

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.

Madagascar: Plague [Update]

Between 1 August and 17 November 2017, a total of 2,267 cases of plague including 195 deaths were reported in Madagascar.

(Source: World Health Organization 20 November 2017)

Mainland: Avian Influenza, human [Update]

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health received notification of an additional human case of avian influenza A (H5N6) in Guangxi, Mainland China, from the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

The case involved a 33-year-old man from Guigang. He developed symptoms on November 7 and was hospitalised on November 12. He is now in a critical condition. The patient had contact with live poultry and exposure to live poultry markets before the onset of symptoms.

"Based on the seasonal pattern of avian influenza viruses, their activity in the Mainland is expected to increase in winter. The public should avoid contact with poultry, birds and their droppings and should not visit live poultry markets and farms to prevent avian influenza," a spokesman for the CHP said.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 20 November 2017)

Myanmar: Japanese Encephalitis

Compared with 51 cases in 2016, Kayin State, Myanmar, has reported a total of 123 suspected cases of Japanese encephalitis up to October this year.

(Source: ProMED-mail 20 November 2017)

Nigeria: Yellow Fever

As of 7 November, 179 suspected cases of yellow fever were reported in 7 states in Nigeria.

(Source: ProMED-mail 19 November 2017)

Yemen: Cholera [Update]

In Yemen, a cumulative total of 926,187 suspected cases of cholera including at least 2,200 associated deaths were reported for the outbreak which started in October 2016.

(Source: ProMED-mail 17 November 2017)

Czech Republic: Hepatitis A

A total of 276 cases of hepatitis A have been reported in different parts of Prague in Czech Republic.

(Source: ProMED-mail 17 November 2017)

USA: Mumps

Between 1 January and 7 October 2017, 4,667 cases of mumps were reported in 47 states of USA.

(Source: ProMED-mail 15 November 2017)

Uganda: Marburg Haemorrhagic Fever [Update]

As of 14 November, 3 fatal cases of Marburg haemorrhagic fever were reported in Uganda. The cases were epidemiologically linked and all belong to the same family.

(Source: World Health Organization 15 November 2017)

Madagascar: Plague [Update]

Between 1 August and 10 November 2017, a total of 2,119 plague cases including 171 deaths have been reported in Madagascar. Of these, 1,618 cases were clinically classified as pneumonic plague.

(Source: World Health Organization 14 November 2017)