Travel Health Service Year 2016

Current Travel Health News

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.
of cases since 01/01/2016

Source of information and date of report

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

Lao PDR

5,617

World Health Organization, 17 January

Mexico

124,580

World Health Organization, 12 December 2016

Philippines

176,411

World Health Organization, 17 January

Vietnam

110,854

World Health Organization, 17 January


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

22

World Health Organization, 17 January 2017

Japan

3#

National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 17 January 2017

Malaysia

3,566

World Health Organization, 17 January 2017

Singapore

216

Singapore National Environment Agency, 19 January 2017

Sri Lanka

2,584

Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 18 January 2017

Taiwan

0”

CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 19 January 2017

Thailand

741

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 17 January 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.


Iran: Avian Influenza, poultry

Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N8) were reported in Iran.

(Source: ProMED-mail 23 January 2017)

 

Bangladesh: Avian Influenza, poultry

Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) were reported in Bangladesh.

(Source: ProMED-mail 23 January 2017)

 

Brazil: Yellow Fever [Update]

47 confirmed cases of yellow fever were reported in Brazil. More than 160 suspected cases are under investigation.

(Source: ProMED-mail 23 January 2017)

 

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 Hunan, Mainland China.

According to the Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a male patient, aged 57 from Loudi City who was exposed to poultry, is in a critical condition. Another male patient, aged 75 from Chenzhou City, has passed away. The close contacts of the patients remain asymptomatic.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 23 January 2017)

 

Indonesia: Avian influenza, human

A 10-year-old boy in Bandar Lampung city, Indonesia, was tested positive for avian influenza.

(Source: ProMED-mail 23 January 2017)

 

Mainland: Avian influenza [Increasing activity around Lunar New Year]

The activity of avian influenza A(H7N9) has been increasing markedly since the end of 2016. The Mainland health authorities reported six and 106 human H7N9 cases in November and December 2016 respectively. In the first half of January 2017, 111 cases were detected. The situation this winter has been progressing much faster than the situation last winter.

In the neighbouring Guangdong, 11 human H7N9 cases, with two deaths, were recorded in the first half of this month. The H7-positive percentage of environmental samples from live poultry markets was substantial at 9.42 per cent in the first week of this month. In Hong Kong and Macau, four cases (imported) and two cases were recorded respectively.

"As there is a likely risk that environments with live poultry in the Mainland are contaminated with avian influenza viruses, the public, especially poultry traders and travellers, should be on full alert," the spokesman said.

"Travellers to the Mainland or other affected areas must avoid visiting wet markets, poultry markets or farms. Stay alert to possible backyard poultry when visiting relatives and friends. Avoid buying live or freshly slaughtered poultry and avoid touching poultry/birds or their droppings," the spokesman added.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 22 January 2017)

 

Kazakhstan: Avian Influenza, wild bird

An outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza was reported in Aktau, Kazakhstan.

(Source: ProMED-mail 21 January 2017)

 

Niger: Avian Influenza, poultry

An outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza was reported in Tillabéri region, Niger.

(Source: OIE 19 January 2017)

 

Brazil: Yellow Fever [Update]

The number of suspected cases of yellow fever has increased to 184 in Minas Gerais State of Brazil. 4 suspected cases were also reported in Espirito Santo.

(Source: ProMED-mail 21 January 2017)

 

Chile: Hantavirus infection

The first fatal case of Hantavirus infection in 2017 was reported in Biobio, Chile.

(Source: ProMED-mail 19 January 2017)

 

Greece: Avian Influenza, poultry

Outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N8) was reported in Peloponnisos, Greece.

(Source: ProMED-mail 19 January 2017)

 

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

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is closely monitoring 15 additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), including two deaths, reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by 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 in the places they visit.

The patients are 10 men and five women aged from 22 to 82 (median age 49). Among them, 10 have underlying illnesses. Investigations revealed that four had contact with camels and had consumed raw camel milk, one had contact with camels, two are healthcare workers with contact with previously confirmed patients, and one was a household contact of a previously confirmed case. The remaining seven patients' sources of infection are still under investigation.

In addition, five previously confirmed patients died.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 18 January 2017)

 

Brazil: Yellow Fever [Update]

About 110 cases of yellow fever, including 30 deaths, were reported in Minas Gerais State in south-eastern Brazil.

(Source: ProMED-mail 18 January 2017)

 

Brazil: Chikungunya Fever [Update]

A total of 412,468 cases of Chikungunya fever were reported in Brazil in 2016.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 18 January 2017)

 

Nigeria: Lassa fever

16 suspected cases of Lassa fever were reported in Nasarawa, Nigeria.

(Source: ProMED-mail 18 January 2017)

 

India: Avian Influenza, wild birds

Outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza were reported in Gujarat and Odisha, India.

(Source: ProMED-mail 18 January 2017)

 

Mainland: Avian influenza (high activity)

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health drew the public's special attention to the high activity of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Guangdong. Travellers should be on full alert and maintain strict personal, hand, food and environmental hygiene particularly in the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays.

The Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province reported that 11 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9), with two deaths, have been recorded so far in 2017 including three from Foshan, two from Guangzhou and one each in Zhongshan, Zhaoqing, Meizhou, Dongguan, Qingyuan and Shunde.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 17 January 2017)

 

Taiwan: Hantavirus infection

A case of Hantavirus infection was reported in southern Taiwan.

(Source: ProMED-mail 17 January 2017)

 

Uganda: Avian Influenza, poultry and wild birds

Outbreaks of highly pathogenic (H5) avian influenza were reported in Masaka, Uganda.

(Source: ProMED-mail 17 January 2017)

 

Ireland: Avian Influenza, wild birds

Cases of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza were reported in Ireland.

(Source: ProMED-mail 17 January 2017)