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	162	World Health Organization, 29 March 2018
Brazil	51,930	World Health Organization, 26 April 2018
Cambodia	247	World Health Organization, 29 March 2018
Guangdong	9	Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 13 April 2018
Japan	29	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 24 April 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	5,318	World Health Organization, 26 April 2018
Philippines	15,599	World Health Organization, 29 March 2018
Singapore	770^@	Singapore National Environment Agency, 26 April 2018
Sri Lanka	16,331	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 26 April 2018
Taiwan	0”	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 26 April 2018
Thailand	7,536	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 25 April 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.

Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]

Saudi Arabia reported two new deaths from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Totally there were 1,836 cases of MERS-CoV and 744 deaths that have been reported since 2012.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 30 April 2018)

Venezuela: Malaria

The World Health Organization reported the number of malaria cases in Venezuela have increased by a factor of 10 since 2010. In 2010, the country had recorded 45,000 cases of malaria. The rate was already 240,613 by 2016. The estimated case count last year is 406, 000.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 29 April 2018)

Brazil: Chikungunya Fever

The number of chikungunya fever cases in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, during the first quarter of 2018 was reported nearly triple the number seen during the same period last year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 29 April 2018)

Mexico: Mumps

The Mexican Ministry of Health has reported an outbreak of mumps in the country, many affecting university students, with outbreaks reported in Mexico City, Sonora and Chihuahua. Through April 13, 2,619 cases of mumps have been reported in Mexico.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 29 April 2018)

Chile: Dengue Fever

Four confirmed local dengue fever cases were reported on Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Chile.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 29 April 2018)

Ukraine: Measles [Update]

Ukraine reported 1,070 measles cases during the last week, making it the most cases reported in a week since the outbreak started in 2017.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 27 April 2018)

Finland: Avian Influenza, wild birds

Finland reported highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N6 was detected in a white-tailed eagle found dead on April 18 in Western Finland province.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 25 April 2018)

Mexico: Avian Influenza, poultry

Mexico reported two poultry outbreaks involving the avian influenza H7N3 virus in the south central part of the country on April 21.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 25 April 2018)

USA: Escherichia Coli

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in USA is investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to romaine lettuce. There have been 84 cases reported from 19 states.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 25 April 2018)

Canada: Escherichia Coli

Health officials in Canada reported an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to pork products in Edmonton. There have been 36 lab-confirmed cases (11 patients required hospitalization), including one death.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 25 April 2018)

Taiwan: Measles [Update]

The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) reported one new confirmed measles case in the south area, which had contact history with a previous confirmed imported measles patient. So far, Taiwan CDC has recorded 23 measles cases, including 16 indigenous cases and 7 imported cases.

(Source: Centers for Disease Control, R.O.C (Taiwan) 24 April 2018)

Mainland: Avian Influenza, poultry

Mainland China reported on April 17 that samples from poultry in Ningxia were tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H7N9).

(Source: Centre for Health Protection 24 April 2018)

Nigeria: Lassa Fever [Update]

Nigeria reported one new confirmed cases of Lassa fever last week, the lowest weekly total since January. The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control has recorded 416 confirmed Lassa fever cases, including 105 deaths, from January 1 to April 22.

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