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	457	World Health Organization, 2 August 2018
Brazil	171,582	World Health Organization, 2 August 2018
Cambodia	3,868	World Health Organization, 2 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	78	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 14 August 2018
Lao PDR	2,823	World Health Organization, 2 August 2018
Macau	1”	Health Bureau of Macau, 19 June 2018
Malaysia	36,191	World Health Organization, 2 August 2018
Mexico	18,837	World Health Organization, 2 August 2018
Philippines	20,108	World Health Organization, 2 August 2018
Singapore	1,712^@	Singapore National Environment Agency, 16 August 2018
Sri Lanka	35,104	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 16 August 2018
Taiwan	16”	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 16 August 2018
Thailand	44,422	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 15 August 2018
Vietnam	32,174	World Health Organization, 2 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.

Europe : Measles [Update]

Over 41 000 children and adults in the WHO European Region have been infected with measles in the first six months of 2018. Seven countries in the Region have seen over 1000 infections in children and adults this year (France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, the Russian Federation, Serbia and Ukraine). Ukraine has been the hardest hit, with over 23 000 people affected. Measles-related deaths have been reported in all of these countries, with Serbia reporting the highest number of 14.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 20 Aug 2018)

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

The current Ebola outbreak in North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo(DRC) continues to develop and poses considerable regional risk. According to the DRC health ministry's daily update, the 91 Ebola cases include 64 confirmed and 21 probable cases. Also, health officials are investigating 12 suspected cases. The total number of deaths is 50.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 20 Aug 2018)

China: Avian Influenza virus

A human H5N6 Avian influenza virus case was reported in the Guangxi. The patient had contact with live poultry before the onset of symptom.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 20 Aug 2018)

Israel: Leptospirosis

The Israeli Ministry of Health is currently managing an outbreak of human leptospirosis linked to recreational water exposure in Northern Israel, following reports of several suspected cases who presented to several hospitals across Israel during the weekend of 9-11 Aug 2018 with prior touristic excursions.

(Source: Pro-MED Mail 19 Aug 2018)

Greece: West Nile Virus [Update]

77 cases of West Nile Virus infections have been recorded in Greece since Summer this year, including 5 deaths.

(Source: Pro-MED Mail 19 Aug 2018)

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

The current Ebola outbreak in North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo(DRC) continues to develop and poses considerable regional risk. According to the DRC health ministry's daily update, the 78 Ebola cases include 51 confirmed and 27 probable cases. Also, health officials are investigating 24 suspected cases. The total number of deaths is 44.

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

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

The current Ebola outbreak in North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo(DRC) continues to develop and poses considerable regional risk. According to the DRC health ministry's daily update, the 73 Ebola cases include 46 confirmed and 27 probable cases. Also, health officials are investigating 40 suspected cases. One more death was reported, pushing the total number to 43.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 16 Aug 2018)

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

The current Ebola outbreak in North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo(DRC) continues to develop and poses considerable regional risk. According to the DRC health ministry's daily update, the 66 Ebola cases include 39 confirmed and 27 probable cases. Also, health officials are investigating 36 suspected cases. One more death was reported, pushing the total number to 42.

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

Kyrgyzstan: Anthrax

The Ministry of Health of Kyrgyzstan announced the hospitalization of 13 people in Kara-Kulja with suspected anthrax. All hospitalized people had had contact with meat of the infected animal.

(Source: ProMED-mail 15 Aug 2018)

Nigeria: Lassa fever [Update]

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed last week 9 new cases of Lassa fever epidemic with 2 deaths.

(Source: ProMED-mail 15 Aug 2018)

China: Anthrax [Update]

20 people have been confirmed to be infected with cutaneous anthrax in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region due to a suspected outbreak of the sheep and cattle disease.

(Source: ProMED-mail 15 Aug 2018)

Romania: West Nile virus

Romanian health officials reported since the start of surveillance on 2 May 2018, 23 meningitis/meningo-encephalitis cases have been reported due to West Nile virus infection and a death in the case of a 79-year-old patient who had comorbidities.

(Source: ProMED-mail 15 Aug 2018)

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

The current Ebola outbreak in North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to develop and poses considerable regional risk. According to the DRC health ministry's daily update, the 57 Ebola cases includes 30 confirmed and 27 probable cases. Also, health officials are investigating 58 suspected cases, up from 45 reported on Aug 12. Two more deaths were reported, pushing the total number to 41.

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

Papua New Guinea : Poliomyelitis [Update]

A new polio case was reported this week by the National Department of Health of Papua New Guinea (NDOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in a 22-month old girl from Eastern Highlands Province. This is the fourth case in the country in recent months.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 14 Aug 2018)

Zimbabwe : Typhoid Fever

Five people have died, while 350 others have tested positive for typhoid in Gweru, the 3rd largest city in Zimbabwe. Preliminary investigations suggest the outbreak was caused by the widespread consumption of contaminated water.

(Source: ProMED-mail 14 Aug 2018)