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	141	World Health Organization, 15 March 2018
Brazil	32,161	World Health Organization, 22 March 2018
Cambodia	173	World Health Organization, 15 March 2018
Guangdong	5	Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 15 March 2018
Japan	20	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 20 March 2018
Lao PDR	18	World Health Organization, 15 March 2018
Macau	0”	Health Bureau of Macau, 8 March 2018
Malaysia	1,153^#	World Health Organization, 15 March 2018
Mexico	3,276	World Health Organization, 22 March 2018
Philippines	15,599	World Health Organization, 15 March 2018
Singapore	567^@	Singapore National Environment Agency, 22 March 2018
Sri Lanka	13,345	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 21 March 2018
Taiwan	0”	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 22 March 2018
Thailand	4,847	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 20 March 2018
Vietnam	8,667	World Health Organization, 15 March 2018

* Dengue reporting systems vary by country/area.
@ Cumulative cases since 31 December 2017.
“ Locally-acquired
# data of week 10

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.

USA: Hepatitis A

The Indiana State Department of Health in USA reported they have confirmed 40 cases of hepatitis A statewide since January 1. In the last month, 17 cases of hepatitis A have been confirmed, including 11 in Clark and Floyd counties. Many of these cases were linked to a large outbreak in Kentucky. Since January 1, 2017, the Kentucky Department for Public Health has identified 198 confirmed cases of acute hepatitis A, including one death.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 26 March 2018)

USA: Tuberculosis

Health officials of New York City reported that tuberculosis cases have increased 10% from the previous year (613 cases in 2017, 556 cases in 2016). People born outside of the United States accounted for 86% of New York City tuberculosis patients. The most common countries of origin were China, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, India and Mexico.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 26 March 2018)

Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]

Saudi Arabia reported four new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) over the weekend. Two among four patients had direct contact with camels. Totally there were 1,825 cases of MERS-CoV and 738 deaths that have been reported in Saudi Arabia since 2012.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 26 March 2018)

Mainland: Avian Influenza, human

Recently 3 laboratory-confirmed human cases of A (H9N2) virus infection have been reported to World Health Organization from Mainland China. Most human cases are exposed to the A (H9N2) virus through contact with infected poultry or contaminated environments. Human infection tends to result in mild clinical illness.

(Source: ProMED-mail 25 March 2018)

Yemen: Cholera [Update]

Yemen reported 1,080,422 suspected cholera cases and 2,266 associated deaths since April 2017 to 17 March 2018. There were 16,636 additional cases reported over the past 8 weeks.

(Source: ProMED-mail 25 March 2018)

Brazil: Yellow Fever [Update]

Brazil has reported 1,098 confirmed cases of yellow fever including 340 deaths from 1 July 2017 to 20 March 2018.

(Source: ProMED-mail 25 March 2018)

France: Leptospirosis

From 1 January to 20 March 2018, 42 cases of leptospirosis including one death have been reported in Reunion, France. The south of the island has been particularly affected.

(Source: ProMED-mail 25 March 2018)

Portugal: Measles [Update]

The number of confirmed measles cases reported in northern Portugal has grown to 70 cases. The majority of the cases (87%) were registered in Porto. All patients were adults, 14% are not vaccinated and 9% had incomplete vaccination.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 25 March 2018)

Germany: Avian Influenza, poultry

Germany reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus H5N6 in backyard birds.

(Source: ProMED-mail 22 March 2018)

Netherlands: Influenza

Netherlands reported a case of seasonal reassortant A (H1N2) influenza virus infection. The patient was a child aged 1 year and 7 months presenting with influenza-like illness. No travel abroad was reported. The patient was not vaccinated against influenza. The patient did not use influenza antivirals or any other medication and fully recovered. The virus genome consists of 6 gene segments of a seasonal influenza A (H3N2) virus and 2 gene segments of a seasonal A (H1N1)pdm09 virus.

(Source: ProMED-mail 22 March 2018)

Philippines: HIV

Philippines reported an increase in cases of AIDS/HIV infection. The number of new infections has increased by 140% between 2010 and 2016. An average of 31 newly diagnosed cases of HIV infection per day were reported in 2017. There was HIV drug resistance reported in the Philippines.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 22 March 2018)

Central African Republic: Monkeypox

United Nations Health officials reported three suspected cases of monkeypox in Bria town in Haute-Kotto Prefecture, Central African Republic during the week ending March 4.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 21 March 2018)

Thailand: Rabies [Update]

Thailand has reported 388 confirmed rabies infection animals so far in 2018. Four people have died because of the rabies outbreak since 1 January 2018.

(Source: ProMED-mail 21 March 2018)

USA: Salmonella

Health officials of USA announced the investigation of a multistate outbreak of Salmonella infection linked to dried coconut. To date, 13 people from eight states have been affected and 3 people required hospitalization.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 21 March 2018)

Global: Influenza [Update]

Influenza activity appears to have peaked in some regions of Northern Hemisphere, such as North America and parts of Europe, but flu levels are still high in many countries, with similar proportions of influenza A and B. Temperate countries in the Southern Hemisphere are still reporting interseasonal flu levels.

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

Serbia: Measles

Serbian health authorities have reported 3,812 measles cases including 13 deaths since October 2017. Nearly 2,000 cases have been reported in just the past two months. The majority of patients are younger than 5 and over 30 years of age.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 20 March 2018)

Nigeria: Lassa Fever [Update]

Nigeria reported 9 new confirmed cases of Lassa fever last week, including three deaths. From January 1 to March 18, health officials have recorded 1,495 suspected cases (376 confirmed) in Nigeria, including 119 deaths.

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