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
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	117	World Health Organization, 27 February 2018
Brazil	32,161	World Health Organization, 15 March 2018
Cambodia	132	World Health Organization, 27 February 2018
Guangdong	5	Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 15 March 2018
Japan	17	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 13 March 2018
Lao PDR	18	World Health Organization, 27 February 2018
Macau	0	Health Bureau of Macau, 8 March 2018
Malaysia	1,200	World Health Organization, 27 February 2018
Mexico	3,276	World Health Organization, 15 March 2018
Philippines	10,980	World Health Organization, 27 February 2018
Singapore	534^@	Singapore National Environment Agency, 15 March 2018
Sri Lanka	12,750	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 15 March 2018
Taiwan	0”	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 15 March 2018
Thailand	4,226	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 14 March 2018
Vietnam	8,667	World Health Organization, 27 February 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.

Brazil: Yellow Fever [Update]

Brazil has reported 920 confirmed cases of yellow fever including 300 deaths from 1 July 2017 to 13 March 2018. In total, 3,483 suspected cases were reported, of which 1,794 were discarded and 769 remain under investigation.

(Source: ProMED-mail 19 March 2018)

Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]

Saudi Arabia reported another new case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) last week. The patient had contact history of a previously reported case. Totally there were 1,816 cases of MERS-CoV and 736 deaths that have been reported in Saudi Arabia since 2012.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 19 March 2018)

South Korea: Avian Influenza, poultry

South Korea reported 3 outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N6 avian influenza last week. The outbreaks occured in chickens at 3 poultry farms in Pyeongtaek and Yangju,Gyeonggi Province,and Asan,South Chungcheong Province.

(Source: ProMED-mail 19 March 2018)

France: Measles [Update]

As of March 12 2018, French health officials reported 913 cases of measles since November 6, 2017. 50% of cases are reported in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.

(Source: ProMED-mail 18 March 2018)

Ukraine: Measles [Update]

Health officials of Ukraine reported 7,069 people have been infected by measles in the first 10 weeks of 2018. Totally 2,434 adults and 4,635 children were affected.

(Source: ProMED-mail 18 March 2018)

Australia: Listeriosis [Update]

There have now been 19 recorded cases across Australia in the national outbreak of listeriosis which was linked to contaminated rockmelons. The number of deaths in this listeriosis outbreak has increased to 5.

(Source: ProMED-mail 16 March 2018)

South Africa: Malaria

The National Institute of Communicable diseases of South Africa has reported an increase in locally acquired malaria cases in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. There was a modest rise in malaria cases in the Kruger National Park and private reserves.

(Source: NaTHNaC 16 March 2018)

Oman: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]

Oman reported its 1st confirmed case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2018. The male patient aged 74 had contact with camels before onset. The total number of laboratory confirmed MERS-CoV cases reported by Oman is 11.

(Source: ProMED-mail 15 March 2018)

Netherlands: Avian Influenza, poultry

Netherlands reported its second outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N6 avian influenza in a commercial farm.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 15 March 2018)

Sweden: Avian Influenza, wild birds

Sweden detected the highly pathogenic H5N6 avian influenza in a wild buzzard.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 15 March 2018)

Afghanistan: Poliomyelitis [Update]

Afghanistan reported 2 new cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1). The total number of officially reported WPV1 cases in Afghanistan in 2018 is 5. There were 3 new WPV1 positive environmental samples reported this week.

(Source: ProMED-mail 15 March 2018)

Nigeria: Lassa Fever [Update]

Nigeria reported that the number of suspected Lassa fever has reached 1,386 as of March 11. So far 365 confirmed cases of lassa fever including 114 deaths have been reported.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 14 March 2018)

Myanmar: Zika Virus

Myanmar has been upgraded to a moderate risk area for Zika virus transmission by World Health Organization on March 9. Women are suggested to avoid becoming pregnant while travelling in, and for 8 weeks after leaving an area with active zika virus transmission or 8 weeks after last possible zika virus exposure.

(Source: NaTHNaC 13 March 2018)

Bhutan: Avian Influenza, poultry

Bhutan reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in free-range poultry in the city of Samdrup Jongkhar.

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

Pakistan: Avian Influenza, poultry

Pakistan reported its first highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 outbreak in captive macaws at the Lahore zoo.

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

Macau: Scarlet fever

Health officials of Macau reported the number of scarlet fever cases is increasing. Sixteen cases of scarlet fever have been reported last week compared to 7 cases per week reported in the end of February. As of March 13, 133 cases of scarlet fever have been reported this year.

(Source: Macau Health Bureau 13 March 2018)