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 01/01/2018 *

 

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

Source of information and date of report

Australia

492

World Health Organization, 30 August 2018

Brazil

239,389

World Health Organization, 30 August 2018

Cambodia

5,436

World Health Organization, 30 August 2018

Guangdong

121

Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 14 August 2018

India

14,233

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 22 July 2018

Japan

109

National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 11 September 2018

Lao PDR

3,586

World Health Organization, 30 August 2018

Macau

1”

Health Bureau of Macau, 22 August 2018

Malaysia

46,544

World Health Organization, 30 August 2018

Mexico

26,984

World Health Organization, 13 September 2018

Philippines

20,108

World Health Organization, 30 August 2018

Singapore

1,984@

Singapore National Environment Agency, 13 September 2018

Sri Lanka

37,975

Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 13 September 2018

Taiwan

112”

CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 12 September 2018

Thailand

57,129

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 18 September 2018

Vietnam

39,692

World Health Organization, 30 August 2018

* Dengue reporting systems vary by country/area.
@ Cumulative cases since 31 December 2017.
“ Locally-acquired

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.


Thailand: Dengue fever [Update]

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration health officials issued a dengue fever warning because of heavy and consistent rain in the capital city. Around 6,000 people were affected by dengue fever in Bangkok this year, including 5 deaths. 69 deaths were reported this year countrywide.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 17 September 2018)

 

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

According to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ministry of Health’s (MoH) update on the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), the number of confirmed outbreak cases has now reached 111. In addition, there are another 31 probable cases reported. The total number of deaths is 97.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 17 September 2018)

 

Dominican Republic: Malaria

At least 63 confirmed cases of malaria have been reported in Dominican Republic in the last 4 weeks.

(Source: Pro-MED Mail 17 September 2018)

 

Philippines: Leptospirosis

The Provincial Health Office of Iloilo, Philippines recorded 88 leptospirosis cases with 9 deaths since January this year, with most of the cases involving farmworkers.

(Source: Pro-MED Mail 17 September 2018)

 

USA: West Nile Virus infection

332 cases of West Nile Virus infections were reported in North and South Dakota last week.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 16 September 2018)

 

Pakistan: Poliomyelitis

A new case of wild poliovirus type 1 was reported in Pakistan, bringing the total number of cases to 4 this year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 16 September 2018)

 

Afghanistan: Poliomyelitis [Update]

A new case of wild poliovirus type 1 was reported in Afghanistan, bringing the total number of cases to 13 this year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 16 September 2018)

 

Ukraine : Measles [Update]

In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in Ukraine, the Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine reports 439 cases in the first week of September, bringing the case total to 30,744 this year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 16 September 2018)

 

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

According to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ministry of Health’s (MoH) update on the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), the number of confirmed outbreak cases has now reached 106. In addition, there are another 31 probable cases are reported. The total number of deaths is 92.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 13 September 2018)

 

Papua New Guinea: Poliomyelitis [Update]

On 11 September, two additional polio cases of polio were reported from Eastern Highlands Province in Papua New Guinea, bringing the outbreak total to 12 since June 2018.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 13 September 2018)

 

Philippines: Leptospirosis

Since January 2018, 247 leptospirosis cases have been recorded Central Luzon, 74 percent higher compared to the same period in 2017. The recent surge since 1 July has caused 3 deaths.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 12 September 2018)

 

Papua New Guinea: Poliomyelitis [Update]

In the recent outbreak of poliomyelitis in Papua New Guinea, the first case in capital Port Moresby was reported, bringing the total number of cases to 10.

(Source: Pro-MED Mail 12 September 2018)

 

Uganda: Anthrax

Since April this year, an anthrax outbreak in Arua district of Uganda has infected 28 people with 2 deaths recorded.

(Source: Pro-MED Mail 12 September 2018)

 

Pakistan: Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever

A 25-year-old male died from Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Pakistan capital Karachi last week, making the total number of deaths from the disease 10 this year.

(Source: Pro-MED Mail 12 September 2018)

 

United Kingdom: Monkeypox

UK health officials reported a second case of monkeypox. It is believed that the second patient acquired the infection while travelling to Nigeria recently.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 11 Sept 2018)