Travel Health Service Year 2019

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 01/01/2019 *

	Cumulative reported no. of cases since 01/01/2019	Source of information and date of report
Australia	1,038	World Health Organization, 26 September 2019
Brazil	1,993,271	World Health Organization, 3 October 2019
Guangdong, China	2,005	Health Commission of Guangdong Province, 11 September 2019
India	5,504	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 26 May 2019
Japan	328^{^}	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 1 October 2019
Lao PDR	30,662	World Health Organization, 26 Sepember 2019
Malaysia	98,184	World Health Organization, 26 September 2019
Mexico	112,991	World Health Organization, 3 October 2019
The Philippines	292,076	World Health Organization, 26 September 2019
Singapore	12,532^@	Singapore National Environment Agency, 3 October 2019
Sri Lanka	51,243	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 3 October 2019
Taiwan, China	495	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 3 October 2019
Thailand	96,369	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 1 October 2019
Vietnam	124,751	World Health Organization, 26 September 2019

* Dengue reporting systems vary by country/area.
@Cumulative cases since 30 December 2018.
^ Cumulative cases since 31 December 2018.

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.

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

8 October 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,205 and the total number of deaths is 2,142. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern on 17 July 2019. For more information on Ebola virus disease, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/34199.html

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 7 October 2019)

Southeast Asia: Dengue Fever [Update]

8 October 2019

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health reported the latest number of dengue fever (DF) cases, and strongly urged the public to maintain strict environmental hygiene, mosquito control and personal protective measures both locally and during travel.

From September 27 to October 3, the CHP recorded four imported DF cases. The patients had been to India (one case), Myanmar (one case) and multiple countries (two cases, with one having been to Malaysia and Singapore and the other to Singapore and Thailand) during the incubation period.

As of October 3, 157 cases had been recorded this year, as compared with 110 cases recorded in the same period last year. All the cases in 2019 were imported, mainly from Thailand (31), Malaysia (24) and Cambodia (20).

The CHP has been closely monitoring the latest DF situation in neighbouring and overseas areas. DF is endemic in many tropical and subtropical areas of the world. According to the World Health Organization, some Asian countries are experiencing unusually high numbers of DF cases for this time of year. The number of cases in several countries including Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam was about two to six times the number for the same period in 2018.

According to the Health Commission of Guangdong Province, Guangdong is still in the epidemic season of DF. In Taiwan, as of October 3, 495 cases (including 90 local cases) have been recorded in 2019.

Detailed information on the latest DF situation in Hong Kong as well as neighbouring and overseas countries and areas this year has been uploaded to the CHP's website (www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/df_imported_cases_and_overseas_figures_eng.pdf). Members of the public should stay vigilant and carry out effective mosquito prevention and control measures.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 4 October 2019)

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

4 October 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,198 and the total number of deaths is 2,137. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern on 17 July 2019. For more information on Ebola virus disease, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/34199.html

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 3 October 2019)

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

3 October 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,197 and the total number of deaths is 2,136. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern on 17 July 2019. For more information on Ebola virus disease, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/34199.html

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 2 October 2019)

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

2 October 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,194 and the total number of deaths is 2,133. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern on 17 July 2019. For more information on Ebola virus disease, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/34199.html

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 1 October 2019)

New Zealand: Measles [Update]

2 October 2019

New Zealand national measles outbreak continues, with 1,576 cases reported so far in 2019. Auckland health officials are officially reported 1,307 confirmed cases. New Zealand Ministry of Health advises travelers to Auckland to receive vaccinations against measles at least two weeks before departure. For more information on measles, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/100419.html

(Source: Outbreak News Today 1 October 2019)

(Source: New Zealand Ministry of Health 2 October 2019)