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

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

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,592. The total number of deaths is 1,737, including the first and fatal case from North Kivu capital 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

 

Bangladesh: Dengue fever [Update]

Bangladesh is seeing a surge of dengue fever cases in July this year. 3,960 cases have been recorded during 1-20 July while the yearly total is at 6,045 cases.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 21 July 2019)

 

Thailand: Dengue Fever

Thailand health officials are reporting dengue fever at high levels. 49,174 cases have been reported this year, including 64 deaths.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 21 July 2019)

 

Bolivia: Viral Hemorrhagic Fever

Bolivia Ministry of Health is reporting five cases of viral hemorrhagic fever identified to be caused by Chapare virus. Three of the cases are from healthcare workers and two are from agricultural workers. Three cases have died.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 20 July 2019)

 

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

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,546. The total number of deaths is 1,705, including the first and fatal case from North Kivu capital Goma. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern on 17 July 2019.

 

Thailand: Chikungunya fever [Update]

Thailand health officials reported continuous Chikungunya fever outbreak activity, especially in southern provinces of Pattani, Ranong, Phuket, Songkhla and Phang Nga. As of 7 July, 4,500 cases were reported this year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 19 July 2019)

 

Southeast Asia: Dengue Fever & Chikungunya Fever [Update]

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 again urged the public to maintain strict environmental hygiene, mosquito control and personal protective measures both locally and during travel.

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]

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,532. The total number of deaths is 1,698, including the first and fatal case from North Kivu capital Goma. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern on 17 July 2019.

 

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

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,522. The total number of deaths is 1,676, including the first and fatal case from North Kivu capital Goma. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern.

(Source: World Health Organization 17 July 2019)

 

Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is closely monitoring 14 additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by Saudi Arabia from May 1 to 31. 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, 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

Malaysia has recorded sporadic cases of Japanese encephalitis this year. 15 cases have been recorded so far this year, including 3 deaths, two of which are from Sarawak and one is from Perak.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 17 July 2019)

 

Bangladesh: Dengue fever

Bangladesh is seeing a surge of dengue fever cases in July this year. 2,767 cases have been recorded during 1-16 July while the yearly total is at 4.852 cases.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 17 July 2019)

 

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

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,512. The total number of deaths is 1,668, including the first and fatal case from North Kivu capital Goma.

 

Canada: Rabies

The British Columbia Ministry of Health, Canada recorded the first human death from rabies in the country since 2012. The deceased acquired the disease while in contact with a bat on Vancouver Island.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 16 July 2019)

 

Singapore: Dengue Fever

Singapore National Environment Agency recorded the highest weekly number of dengue fever cases since January 2016. 666 cases were recorded last week, putting this year’s total near 7,500.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 16 July 2019)