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	162	World Health Organization, 29 March 2018
Brazil	90,858	World Health Organization, 24 May 2018
Cambodia	247	World Health Organization, 29 March 2018
Guangdong	17	Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 14 May 2018
India	5,613	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 29 April 2018
Japan	35	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 22 May 2018
Lao PDR	24^#	World Health Organization, 29 March 2018
Macau	0”	Health Bureau of Macau, 21 April 2018
Malaysia	1,079^&	World Health Organization, 29 March 2018
Mexico	7,470	World Health Organization, 24 May 2018
Philippines	15,599	World Health Organization, 29 March 2018
Singapore	1,043^@	Singapore National Environment Agency, 24 May 2018
Sri Lanka	19,459	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 18 May 2018
Taiwan	0”	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 17 May 2018
Thailand	11,704	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 23 May 2018
Vietnam	12,360	World Health Organization, 29 March 2018

* Dengue reporting systems vary by country/area.
@ Cumulative cases since 31 December 2017.
“ Locally-acquired
# data of week 10
& data of week 11

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.

United Arab Emirates: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome

United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported one laboratory-confirmed case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome infection. The case is a 78-year-old male residing in Gayathi, UAE. He is currently in stable condition in hospital. The patient reported recent travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and he owns a camel farm in UAE, which he visits on daily basis.

(Source: World Health Organization 28 May 2018)

Chile: Dengue Fever [Update]

The dengue fever situation on Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Chile, has grown to 13 locally acquired cases.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 28 May 2018)

India: Nipah Virus Infection [Update]

The Nipah virus claimed one more life in Kerala, India, taking the death toll to 14. Among 14 deaths, 11 are from Kozhikode and 3 from Malappuram.

(Source: ProMED-mail 28 May 2018)

Taiwan: Japanese Encephalitis [Update]

A cluster of Japanese encephalitis virus infection has been confirmed in Kaohsiung's Linyuan District, including 2 confirmed cases and one suspected case.

(Source: ProMED-mail 28 May 2018)

USA: Hepatitis A

A hepatitis A outbreak is occurring in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. There have been 14 confirmed cases of acute hepatitis A since December 1, 2017.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 26 May 2018)

India: Chikungunya Fever

India has reported 9,175 suspected chikungunya cases in first four months of 2018. Karnataka state has reported the most cases at 4,879, followed by Gujarat (1357) and Maharashtra (966).

(Source: Outbreak News Today 26 May 2018)

Nigeria: Poliomyelitis

One laboratory-confirmed case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2), with symptom onset on April 15, 2018, has been reported in Kaugama Local Governorate Area, Jigawa State. This is the first circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus case since 2016.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 25 May 2018)

India: Nipah Virus Infection [Update]

One more death has been reported in India's Nipah virus outbreak. The latest death involves one more family member in the original illness cluster, lifting the number of deaths in the outbreak to 12. Kerala state's health department said the outbreak total has reached 36 cases, 14 of them confirmed and 22 suspected.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 24 May 2018)

Reunion Island: Dengue Fever

The dengue fever outbreak on Reunion Island continues. A total of 3416 laboratory confirmed or probable dengue fever cases have been reported since the beginning of the year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 24 May 2018)

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

As of 21 May 2018, a cumulative total of 58 Ebola virus disease cases, including 27 deaths, have been reported from three health zones (Bikoro, Iboko, Wangata) in Equateur Province.

(Source: World Health Organization 23 May 2018)

Japan: Measles [Update]

A measles outbreak that began in March in Okinawa, Japan, has grown to near 150 cases across the country. As of May 16, 149 cases have been confirmed, including 99 cases in Okinawa.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 23 May 2018)

USA: Hepatitis A

West Virginia of the United States reports an increase in the number of confirmed cases of acute hepatitis A virus since March. As of May 18, 106 cases have been reported. This increase in cases has primarily been among drug users, homeless or those who are co-infected with hepatitis C.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 23 May 2018)

Thailand: Rabies [Update]

The Ministry of Public Health in Thailand has reported the ninth human fatality due to rabies this year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 22 May 2018)

India: Nipah Virus

The Nipah virus outbreak in India's Kerala state has recorded 10 deaths. Twelve of eighteen people screened for the virus tested positive for the disease. Nipah virus is most commonly spread by fruit bats. Symptoms usually presents with severe flu-like symptoms followed by drowsiness, disorientation, and mental confusion. In past outbreaks, infections occurred after close contact with infected bats, pigs, and people.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 22 May 2018)

Cameroon: Monkeypox

Health ministry of Cameroon reported a monkeypox outbreak involving seven suspected cases, one of them confirmed. This is the first monkeypox outbreak in this country in three decades.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 22 May 2018)

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

In a follow-up of Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo, a cumulative total of 51 Ebola Virus Disease cases, including 27 deaths, has been reported from 4 April 2018 to 20 May 2018. Of the 51 cases, 28 have been confirmed.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 22 May 2018)

Tanzania: Cholera [Update]

Health officials of Tanzania reported 44 new cases in the cholera outbreak during week 19. A total of 1,837 cases and 36 deaths have been reported since the beginning of 2018.

(Source: ProMED-mail 22 May 2018)