Travel Health Service Year 2018

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

India

157,220

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 24 December 2017

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

Cumulative reported number of dengue cases since 01/01/2018 *

 

Cumulative reported no.
of cases since 01/01/2018

Source of information and date of report

Australia

162

World Health Organization, 29 March 2018

Brazil

38,043

World Health Organization, 5 April 2018

Cambodia

247

World Health Organization, 29 March 2018

Guangdong

5

Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 15 March 2018

Japan

23

National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 3 April 2018

Lao PDR

24#

World Health Organization, 29 March 2018

Macau

0”

Health Bureau of Macau, 8 March 2018

Malaysia

1,079&

World Health Organization, 29 March 2018

Mexico

4,458

World Health Organization, 5 April 2018

Philippines

15,599

World Health Organization, 29 March 2018

Singapore

624@

Singapore National Environment Agency, 5 April 2018

Sri Lanka

14,609

Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 5 April 2018

Taiwan

0”

CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 5 April 2018

Thailand

5,868

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 4 April 2018

Vietnam

12,360

World Health Organization, 29 March 2018

* Dengue reporting systems vary by country/area.
@ Cumulative cases since 31 December 2017.
“ Locally-acquired
# data of week 10
& data of week 11

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.


Hong Kong: avian influenza, wild birds

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department reported on April 9 that the carcass of a crested myna found in Fanling had been confirmed as positive for the H5N6 avian influenza virus after laboratory testing.

(Source: Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department 9 April 2018)

 

Canada: Norovirus

Health officials in British Columbia of Canada have reported an increase in norovirus cases linked to raw oysters. There were approximately 40 cases of acute gastrointestinal illness with history of consuming raw British Columbia oysters reported since early March 2018. Laboratory testing has confirmed norovirus infection in some of the cases.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 9 April 2018)

 

Venezuela: Chagas Disease

Health officials in Táchira state in western Venezuela have reported 45 suspected cases of Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis), including five deaths due to acute Chagas.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 9 April 2018)

 

Portugal: Measles [Update]

Portugal has reported 105 confirmed measles cases since February. The majority of cases are linked to the Santo António Hospital in Porto where some 85 cases have been reported in health care professionals.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 8 April 2018)

 

Iraq: Avian Influenza, poultry

Iraq has reported several outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza since early January. H5N8 virus recently struck two more commercial poultry farms in Diyala and Baghdad provinces.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 5 April 2018)

 

Afghanistan: Poliomyelitis [Update]

Afghanistan reported 1 new case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) this week. The total number of officially reported WPV1 cases in Afghanistan in 2018 is 7.

(Source: ProMED-mail 5 April 2018)

 

Parkistan: Poliomyelitis [Update]

Parkistan has reported its first confirmed case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in 2018. The total number of officially reported WPV1 cases in Pakistan in 2017 is 8.

(Source: ProMED-mail 5 April 2018)

 

Malaysia: Rabies [Update]

Malaysia reported the second human rabies death in Sarawak state this year. This is the seventh human rabies death since June 2017. The case is a 26-year-old man who had a dog bite history from December 2017. The deceased never sought out medical treatment after the bite.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 4 April 2018)

 

Nigeria: Lassa Fever [Update]

Nigeria reported six new confirmed cases of Lassa fever last week. From January 1 to April 1, Nigeria has confirmed 400 cases of Lassa fever, including 97 deaths.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 4 April 2018)