Current 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. |
Source of information and date of report |
Australia |
701 |
World Health Organization, 4 July 2019 |
Brazil |
1,127,244 |
World Health Organization, 18 July 2019 |
Guangdong, China |
394 |
Health Commission of Guangdong Province, 12 July 2019 |
India |
5,504 |
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 26 May 2019 |
Japan |
161^ |
National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 16 July 2019 |
Lao PDR |
8,042 |
World Health Organization, 4 July 2019 |
Malaysia |
62,421 |
World Health Organization, 4 July 2019 |
Mexico |
29,910 |
World Health Organization, 18 July 2019 |
The Philippines |
92,267 |
World Health Organization, 4 July 2019 |
Singapore |
7,808@ |
Singapore National Environment Agency, 18 July 2019 |
Sri Lanka |
29,634 |
Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 18 July 2019 |
Taiwan, China |
274 |
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 18 July 2019 |
Thailand |
49,174 |
Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 18 July 2019 |
Vietnam |
81,132 |
World Health Organization, 4 July 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]
23 July 2019
Bangladesh: Dengue fever [Update]
Bolivia: Viral Hemorrhagic Fever
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]
Thailand: Chikungunya fever [Update]
Southeast Asia: Dengue Fever & Chikungunya Fever [Update]
A. Dengue fever
From July 12 to 18, the CHP recorded seven imported DF cases. The patients had been to Cambodia (two cases), Malaysia (two epidemiologically linked cases), Indonesia (one case), Nepal (one case) and multiple countries (one case, who had been to Cambodia and Laos) during the incubation period.
As of July 18, 84 cases had been recorded this year, all of which were imported. The cases were mainly imported from Malaysia (17), Thailand (15) and Indonesia (13).
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. 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 (https://www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/df_imported_cases_and_overseas_figures_eng.pdf).
B. Chikungunya fever
From July 12 to 18, the CHP confirmed one CF case. The patient had been to Thailand (epidemiologically linked to the cluster of three cases recorded last week) during the incubation period. Apart from this cluster of four CF cases who had travelled to Thailand together during the incubation period, no other confirmed CF cases were recorded in Hong Kong in 2019.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]
Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]
According to the WHO, of the additional cases, 10 were male patients and four were female patients, with ages from 22 to 80. Among them, three had exposure to camels, two had contact with previously confirmed patients and one was a health care worker. Eleven had underlying illnesses and five have passed away.
According to the latest information, 2 442 cases have been reported to the WHO, including 2 223 in 10 Middle East countries comprising 2 051 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.
Malaysia: Japanese encephalitis
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]