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 01/01/2018 *

	Cumulative reported no. of cases since 01/01/2018	Source of information and date of report
Australia	279	World Health Organization, 24 May 2018
Brazil	101,863	World Health Organization, 7 June 2018
Cambodia	694	World Health Organization, 24 May 2018
Guangdong	17	Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 14 May 2018
India	5,613	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 29 April 2018
Japan	49	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 5 June 2018
Lao PDR	28^#	World Health Organization, 24 May 2018
Macau	0”	Health Bureau of Macau, 21 April 2018
Malaysia	1,290^&	World Health Organization, 24 May 2018
Mexico	9,632	World Health Organization, 7 June 2018
Philippines	20,108	World Health Organization, 24 May 2018
Singapore	1,166^@	Singapore National Environment Agency, 7 June 2018
Sri Lanka	21,065	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 7 June 2018
Taiwan	0”	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 7 June 2018
Thailand	14,973	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 5 June 2018
Vietnam	18,422	World Health Organization, 24 May 2018

* Dengue reporting systems vary by country/area.
@ Cumulative cases since 31 December 2017.
“ Locally-acquired
# data of week 19
& data of week 20

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.

Philippines: Measles

Philippines reported that the number of measles cases has increased in 2018. As of May 20, 3,644 (921 confirmed) compatible measles cases have been reported while 1,224 cases were reported in 2017. There were 16 measles related deaths to date.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 11 June 2018)

Japan: Measles [Update]

Okinawa health officials of Japan have declared an end to the outbreak of measles. Totally 99 confirmed measles cases have been reported in Okinawa since March.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 11 June 2018)

Brazil: Measles [Update]

In Brazil, there is an ongoing measles outbreak. From 1 January through 23 May 2018, there were 995 reported cases (611 in Amazonas state and 384 in Roraima state), 114 of which have been confirmed (30 in Amazonas state and 84 in Roraima state), including 2 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 11 June 2018)

Sri Lanka: Leptospirosis

Sri Lanka health officials have reported an increase in the number cases of leptospirosis in 2018. From January to May 2018, there have been 1,525 cases reported compared to 1,022 cases reported for the same period in 2017.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 10 June 2018)

Venezuela: Poliomyelitis

The World Health Organization reported the detection of Sabin type 3 vaccine poliovirus in Venezuela on 8 June 2018. The case is a 2-year-and-10-months-old child with no history of vaccination. He presented with acute flaccid paralysis and the poliovirus was isolated. Other children from the same community were vaccinated in April 2018 with oral bivalent polio vaccine.

(Source: World Health Organization 8 June 2018)

Thailand: Dengue Fever [Update]

As of 4 June 2018, a total of 14,973 dengue fever cases have been reported from 77 provinces in Thailand this year. Phuket continues to be hardest hit province.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 7 June 2018)

India: Japanese Encephalitis

An outbreak of Japanese encephalitis was confirmed in Himachal, India with two children being affected.

(Source: ProMED-mail 7 June 2018)

Mainland: Avian Influenza, poultry

Some chicken in a farm in Liaozhong district, Shenyang, Liaoning were tested positive to H7N9 avian influenza virus.

(Source: ProMED-mail 7 June 2018)

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

From 4 April through 3 June 2018, a total of 56 Ebola virus disease cases, including 25 deaths have been reported from three health zones (Bikoro, Iboko, and Wangata) in Equateur Province.

(Source: World Health Organization 6 June 2018)

Nigeria: Lassa Fever [Update]

The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control has recorded a total of 1,982 suspected cases of Lassa fever from 1 January to 3 June 2018. Of these, 432 were confirmed cases, including 108 deaths.

(Source: ProMED-mail 5 June 2018)

Taiwan: Japanese Encephalitis [Update]

As 5 June 2018, a total of 5 Japanese encephalitis cases have been confirmed in Taiwan, including 3 in Kaohsiung City, 1 in Chiayi County and 1 in Pingtung County. All five cases live in a high risk environment where there are vector breeding sites nearby.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 5 June 2018)