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	625	World Health Organization, 18 July 2017
Brazil	192,123	World Health Organization, 31 July 2017
Cambodia	1,056	World Health Organization, 18 July 2017
India	28,702	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 30 July 2017
Guangdong	61	Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 13 July 2017
Japan	105^#	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 1 August 2017
Lao PDR	3,958	World Health Organization, 18 July 2017
Macau	3"	Health Bureau of Macau, 3 August 2017
Malaysia	53,750	World Health Organization, 18 July 2017
Mexico	5,372	World Health Organization, 31 July 2017
Philippines	33,760	World Health Organization, 18 July 2017
Singapore	1,704	Singapore National Environment Agency, 3 August 2017
Sri Lanka	121,819	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 3 August 2017
Taiwan	3”	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 3 August 2017
Thailand	25,950	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 2 August 2017
Vietnam	45,074	World Health Organization, 18 July 2017

Remarks:
* Dengue reporting systems vary by country/area.
“ 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.

Macau: Dengue fever

Macau reported two more local cases of dengue fever. In addition to the cases previously reported, there have been three local cases and five imported cases so far this year.

(Source: Government Information Bureau, Macau SAR 3 August 2017)

Yemen: Cholera [Update]

419,804 suspected cholera cases were reported in Yemen. 1,992 people died.

(Source: ProMED-mail 31 July 2017)

Brazil: Chikungunya Fever [Update]

So far this year, Brazil reported 131,749 cases of Chikungunya fever. 51 people died.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 31 July 2017)

Democratic Republic of Congo: Cholera [Update]

So far this year, 15,456 suspected cases of cholera including 441 deaths were reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

(Source: ProMED-mail 30 July 2017)

Somalia: Cholera [Update]

Since January 2017, a total of 58,524 cases of cholera have been reported in Somalia, including 812 deaths.

(Source: ProMED-mail 30 July 2017)

Taiwan: Zika virus infection [Update]

This year’s third imported case of Zika virus infection was reported in Taiwan. The patient had travelled to Vietnam during the incubation period.

(Source: CDC, ROC (Taiwan) 29 July 2017)

Yemen: Cholera [Update]

408,583 suspected cholera cases were reported in Yemen. 1,885 people died.

(Source: ProMED-mail 28 July 2017)

Ethiopia: Cholera

54 cases of cholera were reported in Mekelle, Ethiopia.

(Source: ProMED-mail 27 July 2017)

Yemen: Cholera [Update]

402,484 suspected cholera cases were reported in Yemen. 1,880 people died.

(Source: ProMED-mail 26 July 2017)

Pakistan: Chikungunya fever [Update]

Since December 2016, more than 6,618 cases of Chikungunya fever were reported in Pakistan.

(Source: ProMED-mail 26 July 2017)

Kenya: Cholera [Update]

Since the beginning of 2017, Kenya has been experiencing an upsurge of cholera cases. Outbreaks were reported in a number of counties including some tourist hotspots namely Nairobi, Mombasa, and Nakuru.

(Source: ProMED-mail 25 July 2017)