Current Travel Health News

Burundi is showing progressive increase in cases of malaria this year as reported by the World Health Organization. 8,392,921 cases including 3,113 deaths have been recorded this year.

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,356 and the total number of deaths is 2,220. 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 Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health reported the latest number of dengue fever (DF) cases, and strongly urged the public to maintain strict environmental hygiene, mosquito control and personal protective measures both locally and during travel.

From November 29 to December 19, the CHP recorded two imported DF cases. The patients had respectively been to Vietnam (one case) and multiple countries (one case, who had been to Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand) during the incubation period.

As of yesterday December 19, 195 cases had been recorded this year (including 194 imported cases and one local), as compared with 159 cases recorded in the same period last year. The imported cases were mainly from Thailand (32), Malaysia (27) and the Philippines (24).

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 this year. The numbers of cases in some countries were significantly higher than the numbers for the same period in 2018, including Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

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 this year. The numbers of cases in some countries were significantly higher than the numbers for the same period in 2018, including Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

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.

In Japan, influenza season has already started, and its activity continued to increase. As of the 50th week of 2019 (9-15 December 2019), the number of people affected per sentinel site nationally was 15.62, being significantly higher than that of the same period last year. The highest numbers of people affected per sentinel site by region were recorded in Yamaguchi Prefecture (31.94), Hokkaido (29.76) and Miyagi Prefecture (26.69).

For more information on seasonal influenza, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/healthtopics/content/24/29.html

Bangladesh is seeing the largest outbreak of dengue fever cases in history since July this year. 101,145 cases have been recorded this year, including 141 deaths registered officially.

The Samoa government has declared a state of emergency due to measles outbreak. Currently, 5,494 cases have been reported including 79 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

The Pacific Islands are stepping up measures to prevent and control possible measles outbreak. Marshall Islands and American Samoa are now requiring travelers born in or after 1957 to show proof of measles vaccination. For more information on measles, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/100419.html

Turkey has recorded the largest yearly number of measles cases since 2013. 2,719 cases have been recorded as of November this year. For more information on measles, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/100419.html

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,354 and the total number of deaths is 2,220. 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 Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is closely monitoring 10 additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by Saudi Arabia from November 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 10 additional cases were male patients with underlying illnesses, with ages from 31 to 83. Among them, five had exposure to camels and consumed camel milk, and one has passed away.

According to the latest information, 2,494 cases have been reported to the WHO (with 858 deaths), including 2,275 in 10 Middle East countries comprising 2,102 in Saudi Arabia, 88 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

Thailand health officials are reporting active Dengue fever activity within the country. As of 16 December, 125,235 cases have been reported this year, including 131 deaths.

Thailand health officials reported continuous Chikungunya fever activity, especially in southern provinces of Pattani, Ranong, Phuket, Tak and Songkhla. 11,046 cases have been reported as of 16 December this year.

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,351 and the total number of deaths is 2,217. 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

World Health Organization (WHO) reported that a nearly tripling in yellow fever cases this year compared with 2018 in Nigeria. Since the first of the year and through Dec 10, officials have reported 4,189 suspected yellow fever cases.

The number of dengue fever cases in Sri Lanka continues to rise rapidly in recent months with some 40,000 cases reported since October. Since the beginning of the year through December 17, 91,735 cases and 120 deaths have been recorded.

Mato Grosso do Sul state in central-west Brazil is reporting that 75 of the 79 cities in the state have reported a high incidence of dengue fever. With an incidence of 2,453.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, the state faces an epidemic of the disease.