Travel Health Service Year 2018

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	630	World Health Organization, 8 November 2018
Brazil	218,337	World Health Organization, 15 November 2018
Cambodia	8,046	World Health Organization, 8 November 2018
Guangdong, China	2,752	Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 14 November 2018
India	40,868	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 30 September 2018
Japan	165	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 13 November 2018
Lao PDR	5,497	World Health Organization, 8 November 2018
Macao, China	5”	Health Bureau of Macau, 6 November 2018
Malaysia	61,254	World Health Organization, 8 November 2018
Mexico	62,404	World Health Organization, 15 November 2018
Philippines	106,386	World Health Organization, 8 November 2018
Singapore	2,539^@	Singapore National Environment Agency, 15 November 2018
Sri Lanka	42,658	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 15 November 2018
Taiwan, China	176”	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 15 November 2018
Thailand	73,679	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 14 November 2018
Vietnam	77,355	World Health Organization, 8 November 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.

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

According to the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s update on Ebola Virus Disease, the number of cases has now reached 373. The total number of deaths is 216.

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

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

According to the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s update on Ebola Virus Disease, the number of cases has now reached 358. The total number of deaths is 213.

(Source: Pro-MED Mail 18 November 2018)

Namibia: Anthrax

Namibia health officials confirmed 13 human cases of anthrax in Kunene region, with the disease being contained.

(Source: Pro-MED Mail 18 November 2018)

Spain: Dengue fever

Spain health authorities confirmed the first local case of dengue fever in Catalonia earlier this month, and also the sixth local case nationwide.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 17 November 2018)

Uganda: Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever

Uganda health authorities confirmed two cases of death from Ebola-like disease in Rukungiri district earlier this month, with subsequent laboratory confirmation of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever.

(Source: Pro-MED Mail 16 November 2018)

Ukraine: Measles [Update]

Ukraine continues to report measles at high levels. Over the first week of November this year, 489 cases of measles, including 373 cases for children under 17, were reported in Lviv region.

(Source: Pro-MED Mail 15 November 2018)

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

According to the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s update on Ebola Virus Disease, the number of cases has now reached 341. The total number of deaths is 215.

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

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

According to the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s update on Ebola Virus Disease, the number of cases has now reached 339. The total number of deaths is 212.

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

Morocco: Rabies

England health officials issued a travel warning this week after a UK resident died after becoming infected with rabies following a cat bite during a visit to Morocco.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 13 November 2018)

Japan: Rubella [Update]

As of 13 November Japanese health officials reported a total of 1,884 rubella cases this year with over 700 cases reported in the past four weeks.

[Editor Note: In recent months, there is a significant increase of rubella cases in Japan.

Pregnant women and women preparing for pregnancy who are non-immune to rubella are advised not to travel to areas with ongoing rubella outbreaks.

Members of the public should review their vaccination history and past medical history at least two weeks before departure. People may be considered as non-immune to rubella if they did not have rubella infection confirmed by laboratory test before and had not been vaccinated against rubella. For those who had not been vaccinated, with unknown vaccination history or unknown immunity against rubella, they (especially pregnant women and children aged under one year who are not due for the first dose of Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) combined vaccine in Hong Kong) are advised to consult doctor for advice.]

(Source: Outbreak News Today 13 November 2018)

Thailand: Chikungunya fever

Thailand health officials report 538 people have been diagnosed with Chikungunya fever in southern provinces for the first 10 months of the year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 13 November 2018)

Nigeria: Lassa fever [Update]

As of 4 November, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed 553 new cases of Lassa fever this year, including 143 deaths.

(Source: ProMED-mail 13 November 2018)