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	492	World Health Organization, 30 August 2018
Brazil	239,389	World Health Organization, 30 August 2018
Cambodia	5,436	World Health Organization, 30 August 2018
Guangdong	378	Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 17 September 2018
India	14,233	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 22 July 2018
Japan	126	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 26 September 2018
Lao PDR	3,586	World Health Organization, 30 August 2018
Macau	1”	Health Bureau of Macau, 22 August 2018
Malaysia	46,544	World Health Organization, 30 August 2018
Mexico	32,744	World Health Organization, 27 September 2018
Philippines	20,108	World Health Organization, 30 August 2018
Singapore	2,087^@	Singapore National Environment Agency, 27 September 2018
Sri Lanka	38,940	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 27 September 2018
Taiwan	134”	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 26 September 2018
Thailand	57,129	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 19 September 2018
Vietnam	39,692	World Health Organization, 30 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.

Macau: Dengue Fever

Macau recorded 3 local cases of dengue fever, all of which come from the same family. The total number of local cases stands at 4 this year.

(Source: Macau Government News Bureau 1 October 2018)

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

According to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ministry of Health’s (MoH) update on the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), the number of confirmed outbreak cases has now reached 127. In addition, there are another 32 probable cases reported. The total number of deaths is 104.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 1 October 2018)

China：Avian Influenza　[Update]

A case of H5N6 Avian Influenza was reported in Guangzhou last week, in which the patient had contact with live poultry before symptom onset, making it the 21st human case of Avian Influenza since 2014 in China.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 1 October 2018)

Madagascar: Plague [Update]

The Madagascar Ministry of Health reported 25 suspected cases of human plague, 6 of which were confirmed cases, with 5 deaths since August this year. Of the 6 confirmed cases, 3 were classified as bubonic plague and 3 as pulmonary plague.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 1 October 2018)

Pakistan: Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever [Update]

Pakistan capital Karachi recorded the 11th case of death from Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever last week.

(Source: Pro-MED Mail 1 October 2018)

Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) recorded 13 cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in September this year, 6 of which died of the disease.

(Source: Pro-MED Mail 29 September 2018)

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

According to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ministry of Health’s (MoH) update on the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), the number of confirmed outbreak cases has now reached 123. In addition, there are another 31 probable cases reported. The total number of deaths is 101.

(Source: Pro-MED Mail 27 September 2018)

Australia: Measles

Australian Ministry of Health reported the 4th case of measles in New South Wales this September, with the latest patient recently travelled to South-East Asia.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 27 September 2018)

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

According to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ministry of Health’s (MoH) update on the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), the number of confirmed outbreak cases has now reached 120. In addition, there are another 31 probable cases reported. The total number of deaths is 101.

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

United Kingdom: Monkeypox [Update]

UK health officials reported the third case of monkeypox involving a healthcare worker, who has involved in the care of one of the monkeypox patients diagnosed earlier this month.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 26 September 2018)

Sudan: Chikungunya fever

The Kassala state of Sudan is experiencing an outbreak of chikungunya fever, with the total number of cases reaching 11,000.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 26 September 2018)

Afghanistan: Poliomyelitis [Update]

A new case of poliomyelitis was reported in Afghanistan, bringing the total number of cases to 15 this year.

(Source: Pro-MED Mail 26 September 2018)

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

According to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ministry of Health’s (MoH) update on the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), the number of confirmed outbreak cases has now reached 119. In addition, there are another 31 probable cases reported. The total number of deaths is 100. The second case has been recorded in Tchomia, a small town on the shores of Lake Albert near the Ugandan border.

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