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	1,073	World Health Organization, 10 October 2019
Brazil	2,042,566	World Health Organization, 17 October 2019
Guangdong, China	3,435	Health Commission of Guangdong Province, 15 October 2019
India	5,504	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 26 May 2019
Japan	371^{^}	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 15 October 2019
Lao PDR	30,662	World Health Organization, 10 October 2019
Malaysia	102,734	World Health Organization, 10 October 2019
Mexico	145,916	World Health Organization, 17 October 2019
The Philippines	322,693	World Health Organization, 10 October 2019
Singapore	12,997^@	Singapore National Environment Agency, 17 October 2019
Sri Lanka	55,723	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 17 October 2019
Taiwan, China	522	Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, 17 October 2019
Thailand	102,553	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 17 October 2019
Vietnam	124,751	World Health Organization, 10 October 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]

22 October 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,243 and the total number of deaths is 2,169. 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 21 October 2019)

Africa: Poliomyelitis (cVDPV2)

22 October 2019

The World Health Organization has confirmed cases of poliomyelitis (circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2) last week in three African countries. Zambia reported the first case this year, Chad reported the first case since indigenous wild poliovirus was last reported in 2000, and Togo reported the first case since indigenous wild poliovirus was last reported in 1999.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 21 October 2019)

Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]

22 October 2019

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is closely monitoring four additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by Saudi Arabia from September 1 to 30. The CHP again urged the public to pay special attention to safety during travel, taking due consideration of the health risks in the places they visit.

According to the WHO, all of the additional cases were male patients with ages from 39 to 74. Among them, one had exposure to camels and consumed camel milk. Three had underlying illnesses and one has passed away.

According to the latest information, 2,468 cases have been reported to the WHO (with 851 deaths), including 2,249 in 10 Middle East countries comprising 2,077 in Saudi Arabia, 87 in the United Arab Emirates, 28 in Jordan, 24 in Oman, 19 in Qatar, six in Iran, four in Kuwait, two in Lebanon, and one each in Yemen and Bahrain.

For more information on Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/26511.html

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 21 October 2019)

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

21 October 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,233 and the total number of deaths is 2,157. 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 18 October 2019)

New Zealand: Measles [Update]

21 October 2019

New Zealand national measles outbreak continues, with 1,886 cases reported so far in 2019. Auckland health officials are officially reported 1,523 confirmed cases together with 33 cases reported from Wellington. 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 20 October 2019)

(Source: New Zealand Ministry of Health 21 October 2019)

Southeast Asia: Dengue Fever & Chikungunya Fever [Update]

21 October 2019

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

A. Dengue fever

From October 11 to 17, the CHP recorded four imported DF cases. The patients had been to Guangdong in Mainland China (one case), Malaysia (one case), the Philippines (one case) and Taiwan (one case) during the incubation period.

As of October 17, 169 cases had been recorded this year, as compared with 126 cases recorded in the same period last year. All the cases in 2019 were imported, mainly from Thailand (32), Malaysia (25) and the Philippines (23).

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 currently in the epidemic season of DF. As of September 30, 3,435 cases had been recorded in Guangdong this year, which was significantly higher than that in the same period last year (1,389 cases). In Taiwan, as of October 17, 522 cases (including 99 local cases) had 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.

B. Chikungunya fever

From October 11 to 17, the CHP recorded one CF case. The patient had been to Myanmar during the incubation period. As of October 17, 10 confirmed CF cases had been recorded this year, and all of them were imported cases comprising seven from Thailand and three from Myanmar.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 18 October 2019)

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

18 October 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,228 and the total number of deaths is 2,157. 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 17 October 2019)

Thailand: Dengue Fever [Update]

18 October 2019

Thailand health officials are reporting active Dengue fever activity within the country. As of 15 October, 102,510 cases have been reported this year, including 110 deaths.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 17 October 2019)

Thailand: Chikungunya fever [Update]

18 October 2019

Thailand health officials reported continuous Chikungunya fever outbreak activity, especially in southern provinces of Pattani, Ranong, Phuket, Tak and Songkhla. 8,360 cases have been reported this year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 17 October 2019)

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

17 October 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,227 and the total number of deaths is 2,153. 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 16 October 2019)

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

16 October 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,224 and the total number of deaths is 2,150. 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 15 October 2019)

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Plague

16 October 2019

An outbreak of human plague has been reported in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, namely Ituri Province. A total of 31 cases and 8 deaths have been reported since the beginning of this year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 15 October 2019)

Yemen: Cholera [Update]

16 October 2019

Yemen continues to report high numbers of cholera cases. Until August this year, 2,036,960 cases and 3,716 deaths were reported since the outbreak started in October 2016.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 15 October 2019)