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

810

World Health Organization, 1 August 2019

Brazil

1,748,473

World Health Organization, 15 August 2019

Guangdong, China

796

Health Commission of Guangdong Province, 14 August 2019

India

5,504

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 26 May 2019

Japan

192^

National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 13 August 2019

Lao PDR

15,657

World Health Organization, 1 August 2019

Malaysia

75,913

World Health Organization, 1 August 2019

Mexico

44,210

World Health Organization, 15 August 2019

The Philippines

130,463

World Health Organization, 1 August 2019

Singapore

10,077@

Singapore National Environment Agency, 15 August 2019

Sri Lanka

38,022

Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 15 August 2019

Taiwan, China

384

CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 15 August 2019

Thailand

69,055

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 14 August 2019

Vietnam

115,186

World Health Organization, 1 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.


Ukraine: Measles [Update]

21 August 2019

Ukraine continues to report measles activity. 57,301 cases have been reported across the country this year, including 18 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 19 August 2019)

 

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

20 August 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,888, including four cases from North Kivu capital Goma and two cases from South Kivu. The total number of deaths is 1,934, including two cases from Goma and one case from South Kivu. 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: Avian Influenza, Human [update]

20 August 2019

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) received notification of an additional human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in Beijing from the National Health Commission, and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.

The case involved a 59-year-old female from Beijing. She was hospitalised on August 11. She is now in a critical condition.

From 2014 to date, 24 human cases of avian influenza A(H5N6) have been reported by the Mainland health authorities.

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

 

The Philippines: Dengue Fever [Update]

20 August 2019

The Philippines Department of Health has declared a National Dengue Fever alert on 15 July 2019. Until 3 August 2019, a total of 188,562 dengue fever cases have been reported across the country this year. 46 deaths were recorded during 28 July-3 August.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 19 August 2019)

 

New Zealand: Measles [Update]

20 August 2019

New Zealand national measles outbreak continues, with 639 cases reported so far in 2019. Auckland health officials are officially reported 507 confirmed cases. 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 19 August 2019)

 

Bangladesh: Dengue fever [Update]

19 August 2019

Bangladesh is seeing the largest outbreak of dengue fever cases in history since July this year. 51,476 cases have been recorded this year, including 40 deaths.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 18 August 2019)

 

Thailand: Chikungunya fever [Update]

19 August 2019

Thailand health officials reported continuous Chikungunya fever outbreak activity, especially in southern provinces of Pattani, Ranong, Phuket, Tak and Songkhla. As of 4 August, 5,996 cases have been reported this year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 18 August 2019)

 

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

19 August 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,861, including four cases from North Kivu capital Goma and two cases from South Kivu. The total number of deaths is 1,913, including two cases from Goma and one case from South Kivu. 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 [Update]

19 August 2019

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

From August 9 to 15, the CHP recorded eight imported DF cases. The patients had been to Thailand (four cases), Malaysia (two cases), Indonesia (one case) and the Philippines (one case) during the incubation period.

As of August 15, 113 cases had been recorded this year, as compared with 62 cases recorded in the same period last year. All the cases recorded in 2019 were imported, mainly from Thailand (23), Malaysia (20), Cambodia (18) and Indonesia (18).

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. 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.

 

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

16 August 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,852, including four cases from North Kivu capital Goma. The total number of deaths is 1,905, including two cases from Goma. 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: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

15 August 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,842, including four cases from North Kivu capital Goma. The total number of deaths is 1,898, including two cases from Goma. 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

 

Myanmar: Dengue Fever

15 August 2019

Myanmar is seeing high activity of dengue fever this year, including Yangon Region. At least 10,700 cases have been recorded this year, which is near three times the total number of cases last year. 48 deaths have been recorded.

 

The Philippines: Dengue Fever [Update]

15 August 2019

The Philippines Department of Health has declared a National Dengue Fever alert on 15 July 2019. Until 27 July 2019, a total of 167,606 dengue fever cases have been reported across the country this year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 14 August 2019)

 

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

14 August 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,837, including four cases from North Kivu capital Goma. The total number of deaths is 1,891, including two cases from Goma. 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

 

Sri Lanka: Dengue Fever

14 August 2019

Sri Lanka is seeing high activity of dengue fever this year, including capital Colombo. 36,858 cases have been recorded this year. 54 deaths have been recorded.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 13 August 2019)