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	375	World Health Organization, 5 July 2018
Brazil	171,582	World Health Organization, 19 July 2018
Cambodia	2,159	World Health Organization, 5 July 2018
Guangdong	64	Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 13 July 2018
India	11,592	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 8 July 2018
Japan	65	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 18 July 2018
Lao PDR	1,461	World Health Organization, 5 July 2018
Macau	1”	Health Bureau of Macau, 19 June 2018
Malaysia	32,435	World Health Organization, 5 July 2018
Mexico	16,438	World Health Organization, 19 July 2018
Philippines	20,108	World Health Organization, 5 July 2018
Singapore	1,512^@	Singapore National Environment Agency, 19 July 2018
Sri Lanka	29,214	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 19 July 2018
Taiwan	3”	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 19 July 2018
Thailand	32,216	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 18 July 2018
Vietnam	22,842	World Health Organization, 5 July 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.

Niger: Cholera

The government of Niger says four people have died while 123 cases are being monitored following the outbreak of cholera in the Maradi region on July 13.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 23 July 2018)

Ireland: Measles

The Ireland Health Service Executive (HSE) reported last Friday on two cases of measles in an adult and a child in Dublin who had recently travelled to mainland Europe.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 23 July 2018)

Ireland: Escherichia Coli [Update]

Ireland health officials reported an outbreak of E. coli that resulted in the hospitalisation of 2 children. Since the beginning of this month, 96 cases of Verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli infections have been reported over a 10-day period.

(Source: ProMED-mail 22 July 2018)

Saudi Arabia: Avian Influenza, Poultry

Saudi Arabia reported one case of avian flu in Al Azizya bird market in Riyadh.

(Source: ProMED-mail 22 July 2018)

Afghanistan: Poliomyelitis [Update]

Afghanistan reported 1 new case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) last week, which updated the total number of recorded WPV1 cases in 2018 to 10.

(Source: ProMED-mail 20 July 2018)

United States: Vibrio Vulnificus

The Florida Department of Health reported a case of Vibrio Vulbificus infection, with 1 patient died.

(Source: ProMED-mail 20 July 2018)

Norway: Escherichia coli

Health officials in Norway reported an Escherichia coli O157: H7 outbreak that has sickened 6 people since June 2018.

(Source: ProMED-mail 19 July 2018)

Taiwan: Japanese encephalitis

Taiwan health officials confirmed 4 new cases of Japanese encephalitis last week. The confirmation of the 4 most recent cases brings the total number for 2018 to 26.

(Source: ProMED-mail 19 July 2018)

Taiwan: Dengue Fever [Update]

Taiwan recorded three local dengue fever cases since the beginning of the year—2 cases in Xinbei City and 1 case in Kaohsiung City.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 18 July 2018)

Vietnam: Malaria

Vietnam has recorded 973 malaria cases in the 1st half of this year, including one death, reported by the provincial Department of Health.

(Source: ProMED-mail 18 July 2018)

India: Malaria

16 fresh cases were reported last week in India. The total number of malaria cases in Delhi has reached 122 this year.

(Source: ProMED-mail 18 July 2018)