Travel Health Service Year 2019

Current Travel Health News

Travel Health News

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

1,325

World Health Organization, 5 December 2019

Brazil

2,120,142

World Health Organization, 12 December 2019

Guangdong, China

5,986

Health Commission of Guangdong Province, 13 December 2019

India

136,422

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 30 November 2019

Japan

439^

National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 10 December 2019

Lao PDR

38,026

World Health Organization, 5 December 2019

Malaysia

119,524

World Health Organization, 5 December 2019

Mexico

251,445

World Health Organization, 12 December 2019

The Philippines

402,694

World Health Organization, 5 December 2019

Singapore

15,406@

Singapore National Environment Agency, 12 December 2019

Sri Lanka

87,364

Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 12 December 2019

Taiwan, China

614

Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, 12 December 2019

Thailand

123,320

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 12 December 2019

Vietnam

241,863

World Health Organization, 5 December 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]

17 December 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,348 and the total number of deaths is 2,210. 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

 

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Measles [Update]

17 December 2019

Measles activity in Democratic Republic of the Congo remains high. 280,677 cases have been reported this year, including 5,604 deaths. 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 16 December 2019)

 

Samoa: Measles [Update]

17 December 2019

The Samoa government has declared a state of emergency due to measles outbreak. Currently, 5,267 cases have been reported including 73 deaths. 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 16 December 2019)

 

Bangladesh: Dengue fever [Update]

17 December 2019

Bangladesh is seeing the largest outbreak of dengue fever cases in history since July this year. 101,000 cases have been recorded this year, including 133 deaths registered officially.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 15 December 2019)

 

Japan: Influenza

17 December 2019

In Japan, influenza season has already started, and its activity continued to increase. As of the 49th week of 2019 (2-8 December 2019), the number of people affected per sentinel site nationally was 9.52, being the highest for the same period of time in 5 years. The highest numbers of people affected per sentinel site by region were recorded in Hokkaido (25.11), Aomori Prefecture (21.88) and Toyama Prefecture (19.31).

For more information on seasonal influenza, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/healthtopics/content/24/29.html

(Source: Taiwan Centers for Disease Control 16 December 2019)

 

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

13 December 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,343 and the total number of deaths is 2,210. 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

 

Samoa: Measles [Update]

13 December 2019

The Samoa government has declared a state of emergency due to measles outbreak. Currently, 4,995 cases have been reported including 72 deaths. For more information on measles, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/100419.html

 

The Philippines: Measles [Update]

13 December 2019

The Philippines Department of Health has declared an outbreak of measles cases nationwide. This year, 44,014 cases have been reported across the country, including 576 deaths. The outbreak is on declining trend. 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 12 December 2019)

 

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

12 December 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,340 and the total number of deaths is 2,207. 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

 

Mainland China: Zika Virus Infection

12 December 2019

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is closely monitoring an imported case of Zika Virus Infection reported in Guangdong. The CHP was notified by the Health Commission of Guangdong Province on December 10, and again urged the public to adopt strict anti-mosquito measures and safe sex during travel. Pregnant women should not travel to areas with Zika virus transmission (affected areas).

The male patient aged 33 returning from Cambodia arrived at Shenzhen International Airport on December 8. He was detected as febrile upon arrival. The case was laboratory confirmed subsequently, and he was under isolation and management in stable condition.

For more information on Zika Virus Infection, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/43086.html

 

Pakistan: Dengue fever [Update]

12 December 2019

Pakistan has recorded high dengue fever activity this year. As of 1 December, 52,485 cases including 91 deaths have been reported this year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 11 December 2019)

 

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

11 December 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,330 and the total number of deaths is 2,207. 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

 

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Plague [Update]

11 December 2019

An outbreak of human plague has been reported in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, namely Ituri Province. Until 16 November, A total of 50 cases of bubonic plague and 8 deaths have been reported since the beginning of this year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 10 December 2019)

 

Tonga: Measles [Update]

11 December 2019

Tonga is currently experiencing measles outbreak. 485 cases have been recorded as of 9 December. 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 10 December 2019)

 

Mainland China: Avian Influenza, Human [update]

11 December 2019

The World Health Organization reported on two human avian influenza A (H9N2) cases in Mainland China. The cases were reported on 12 and 22 November respectively.

The two unrelated cases include–A 4-year-old girl from Sanming City, Fujian Province. She developed symptoms on 26 October this year, and her condition was mild. The other was a 5-year-old girl from Fuyang City, Anhui Province, with disease onset on 12 November. She has recovered, and both cases had a history of poultry or poultry slaughterhouse exposure before onset.

For more information on avian influenza, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/24244.html

(Source: Outbreak News Today 10 December 2019)
(Source: Taiwan Centers for Disease Control 10 December 2019)