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

943

World Health Organization, 29 August 2019

Brazil

1,958,031

World Health Organization, 19 September 2019

Guangdong, China

2,005

Health Commission of Guangdong Province, 11 September 2019

India

5,504

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

Japan

307^

National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 17 September 2019

Lao PDR

24,758

World Health Organization, 29 August 2019

Malaysia

85,270

World Health Organization, 29 August 2019

Mexico

86,947

World Health Organization, 19 September 2019

The Philippines

208,917

World Health Organization, 29 August 2019

Singapore

12,023@

Singapore National Environment Agency, 19 September 2019

Sri Lanka

47,317

Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 19 September 2019

Taiwan, China

474

CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 19 September 2019

Thailand

89,157

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 17 September 2019

Vietnam

124,751

World Health Organization, 29 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.


USA: Measles [Update]

24 September 2019

The United States have reported 1,241 cases of measles across 31 states from the beginning of this year to 19 September 2019, with more than 75% of the cases being linked to outbreaks in New York. 131 cases were hospitalized, and 65 cases reported having complications including pneumonia and encephalitis. For more information on measles, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/100419.html

 

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

24 September 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,168 and the total number of deaths is 2,115. 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]

23 September 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,157 and the total number of deaths is 2,111. 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 Philippines: Poliomyelitis (cVDPV2) [Update]

23 September 2019

The Philippines Department of Health has reported two cases of poliomyelitis (circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2) since being declared polio-free by the World Health Organization in 2000. An outbreak has been declared.

 

New Zealand: Measles [Update]

23 September 2019

New Zealand national measles outbreak continues, with 1,385 cases reported so far in 2019. Auckland health officials are officially reported 1,151 confirmed cases. 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 September 2019)
(Source: New Zealand Ministry of Health 23 September 2019)

 

Southeast Asia: Dengue Fever [Update]

23 September 2019

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 September 13 to 19, the CHP recorded four imported DF cases. The patients had been to the Philippines (two cases), Myanmar (one case) and Singapore (one case) during the incubation period.

As of September 19, 151 cases had been recorded this year, as compared with 108 cases recorded in the same period last year. All the cases recorded in 2019 were imported, mainly from Thailand (30), Malaysia (24) and Cambodia (20).

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 August 31, 2 005 cases have been recorded in Guangdong this year, which was significantly higher than that in the same period last year (378 cases). In Taiwan, as of yesterday, 474 cases (including 85 local cases) have been recorded in 2019.

 

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

20 September 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,150 and the total number of deaths is 2,103. 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 Philippines: Poliomyelitis (cVDPV2)

20 September 2019

The Philippines Department of Health has reported one case of poliomyelitis (circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2), the first case since being declared polio-free by the World Health Organization in 2000.

(Source: The Philippines Department of Health 19 September 2019)

 

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

19 September 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,145 and the total number of deaths is 2,098. 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]

18 September 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,130 and the total number of deaths is 2,096. 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]

19 September 2019

Bangladesh is seeing the largest outbreak of dengue fever cases in history since July this year. 81,839 cases have been recorded this year, including 68 deaths registered officially.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 16 September 2019)