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

943

World Health Organization, 29 August 2019

Brazil

1,958,031

World Health Organization, 12 September 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

282^

National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 10 September 2019

Lao PDR

24,758

World Health Organization, 29 August 2019

Malaysia

85,270

World Health Organization, 29 August 2019

Mexico

74,277

World Health Organization, 12 September 2019

The Philippines

208,917

World Health Organization, 29 August 2019

Singapore

11,700@

Singapore National Environment Agency, 12 September 2019

Sri Lanka

45,582

Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 12 September 2019

Taiwan, China

460

CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 12 September 2019

Thailand

85,520

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 11 September 2019

Vietnam

124,751

World Health Organization, 29 August 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 September 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,129 and the total number of deaths is 2,095. 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 September 2019

Measles activity in Democratic Republic of the Congo remains high. 179,477 cases have been reported this year, including 3,559 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 September 2019)

 

New Zealand: Measles [Update]

17 September 2019

New Zealand national measles outbreak continues, with 1,275 cases reported so far in 2019. Auckland health officials are officially reported 1,064 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 16 September 2019)
(Source: New Zealand Ministry of Health 16 September 2019)

 

Romania: Measles [Update]

16 September 2019

Romania continues to report measles activity at high level. As of 6 September, 2,614 cases have been reported this year, including 5 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 15 September 2019)

 

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

16 September 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,113 and the total number of deaths is 2,077. 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

 

Southeast Asia: Dengue Fever & Chikungunya Fever [Update]

16 September 2019

Regarding the latest dengue fever (DF) situation in Hong Kong, from September 6 to 12, the CHP confirmed nine imported DF cases. The patients had been to the Philippines (four cases), Cambodia (one case), India (one case), Nepal (one case), Singapore (one case) and Thailand (one case) during the incubation period.

As of September 12, 147 cases had been recorded this year, as compared with 106 cases recorded in the same period last year. All the cases recorded in 2019 were imported, mainly from Thailand (30), Malaysia (24) and Cambodia (20).

Meanwhile, the CHP recorded one chikungunya fever (CF) case during the period from September 6 to 12. The patient had been to Thailand during the incubation period. As of September 12, nine confirmed CF cases had been recorded this year, comprising seven imported from Thailand and two imported from Myanmar.

 

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

13 September 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,099 and the total number of deaths is 2,074. 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

 

United Kingdom: Mumps & Measles [Update]

13 September 2019

Public Health England has reported significant rise of mumps cases in England. 2,823 cases have been reported in the first half of this year, in which 2,028 cases came from the second quarter accounting for the highest quarterly figures since 2009.

532 cases of measles have been reported in England in the first half of this year. 183 cases are related to outbreak in London.

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 September 2019)

 

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

12 September 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,091 and the total number of deaths is 2,071. 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

 

New Zealand: Measles [Update]

12 September 2019

New Zealand national measles outbreak continues, with 1,172 cases reported so far in 2019. Auckland health officials are officially reported 970 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 11 September 2019)
(Source: New Zealand Ministry of Health 11 September 2019)

 

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

11 September 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,084 and the total number of deaths is 2,070. 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

 

The Philippines: Dengue fever [Update]

11 September 2019

The Philippines Department of Health has declared a National dengue fever alert on 15 July 2019. Until 24 August 2019, 249,332 dengue cases, including 1,021 deaths have been recorded.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 10 September 2019)