Travel Health Service Year 2017

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 01/01/2017 *

 

Cumulative reported no.
of cases since 01/01/2017

Source of information and date of report

Australia

723

World Health Organization, 29 August 2017

Brazil

210,627

World Health Organization, 28 August 2017

Cambodia

1,838

World Health Organization, 29 August 2017

India

36,635

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 20 August 2017

Guangdong

171

Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 24 August 2017

Japan

128#

National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 29 August 2017

Lao PDR

6,730

World Health Organization, 29 August 2017

Macau

6"

Health Bureau of Macau, 22 August 2017

Malaysia

63,092

World Health Organization, 29 August 2017

Mexico

7,073

World Health Organization, 28 August 2017

Philippines

58,598

World Health Organization, 29 August 2017

Singapore

1,915

Singapore National Environment Agency, 31 August 2017

Sri Lanka

146,710

Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 31 August 2017

Taiwan

3”

CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 31 August 2017

Thailand

33,271

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 30 August 2017

Vietnam

90,626

World Health Organization, 29 August 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.


Romania: West Nile Virus infection

A total of 16 cases of West Nile Virus infection were reported in Romania from 9 May till 30 August this year.

(Source: ProMED-mail 4 September 2017)

 

Afghanistan: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever

13 fatal cases of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever were reported in western Herat province of Afghanistan this year.

(Source: ProMED-mail 4 September 2017)

 

Nigeria: Lassa fever [Update]

So far this year, 764 suspected cases of Lassa fever with 83 deaths were reported in Nigeria.

(Source: ProMED-mail 4 September 2017)

 

Cape Verde: Malaria

So far, there have been 116 cases of malaria in Praia, Cape Verde, more than the highest number in the whole of 2001.

(Source: ProMED-mail 4 September 2017)

 

Yemen: Cholera [Update]

More than 591,000 suspected cholera cases were reported in Yemen. 2,035 people died.

(Source: ProMED-mail 2 September 2017)

 

Mainland: Avian Influenza, human [Update]

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health received notification from the National Health and Family Planning Commission of an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Jiangsu, and strongly urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.

The male patient, aged 58, in Zhenjiang has died. He had exposure to a live poultry market before onset.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 1 September 2017)

 

Philippines: Leptospirosis [Update]

So far this year, 910 cases of leptospirosis were reported in the Philippines. This is 71% higher compared to the same period last year.

(Source: ProMED-mail 31 August 2017)

 

Nepal: Scrub Typhus [Update]

In the past 2 weeks, at least 86 cases of scrub typhus have been reported in Nepal.

(Source: ProMED-mail 30 August 2017)

 

Vietnam: Avian Influenza, poultry [Update]

An outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza was reported in Bac Lieu, Vietnam.

(Source: ProMED-mail 30 August 2017)

 

United Arab Emirates: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is closely monitoring an additional case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and again urged the public to pay special attention to safety during travel, taking due consideration of the health risks in the places they visit.

According to the WHO, the patient is a 54-year-old male working and living in the UAE. He developed symptoms on July 11 and tested positive for MERS-CoV on July 25. The patient was placed in an intensive care unit. Investigations into the source of infection are ongoing.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 29 August 2017)