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

569

World Health Organization, 6 June 2019

Brazil

586,569

World Health Organization, 20 June 2019

Cambodia

1,330

World Health Organization, 28 February 2019

Guangdong, China

240

Health Commission of Guangdong Province, 13 June 2019

India

5,504^

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

Japan

133^

National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 18 June 2019

Lao PDR

4,216

World Health Organization, 6 June 2019

Malaysia

52,941

World Health Organization, 6 June 2019

Mexico

20,414

World Health Organization, 20 June 2019

The Philippines

77,040

World Health Organization, 6 June 2019

Singapore

5,468@

Singapore National Environment Agency, 20 June 2019

Sri Lanka

22,253

Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 20 June 2019

Taiwan, China

22”

CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 20 June 2019

Thailand

31,843

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 18 June 2019

Vietnam

59,959

World Health Organization, 6 June 2019

* Dengue reporting systems vary by country/area.
@Cumulative cases since 30 December 2018.
^ Cumulative cases since 31 December 2018.
” Locally-acquired



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]

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,239. The total number of deaths is 1,506.

 

Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) has been continually reporting cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. The latest total number of cases recorded stands at 153 this year.

 

New Zealand: Measles [Update]

New Zealand national measles outbreak continues, with 221 cases reported so far in 2019. Auckland health officials are officially reported 126 confirmed cases.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 24 June 2019)

 

Southeast Asia: Dengue Fever [Update]

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

From June 14 to 20, the CHP recorded seven imported DF cases. The patients had been to Cambodia (one case), India (one case), Maldives (one case), Nepal (one case), the Philippines (one case) and Thailand (two cases, including one case epidemiologically linked to a case recorded last week) during the incubation period.

As of June 20, 65 cases had been recorded this year, all of which were imported. The cases were mainly imported from Thailand (14), Indonesia (11) and Malaysia (11).

 

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 2,200. The total number of deaths is 1,479.

 

Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) has been continually reporting cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. The latest total number of cases recorded stands at 152 this year.

 

State of New York, USA: Measles [Update]

USA New York State continues to report measles cases. Brooklyn and Queens have reached 596 cases in total since September 2018. Rockland County has reached 275 cases since September 2018.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 19 June 2019)

 

Taiwan, China: Japanese encephalitis [Update]

Taiwan has recorded 7 cases of Japanese encephalitis this year, including 4 cases in Kaohsiung City, 1 case each in Chiayi City, Chiayi County and Pingtung County. A fatal case was recorded in Kaohsiung City.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 19 June 2019)

 

Japan: Rubella [Update]

Japan's rubella outbreak remains active. 1,718 cases were reported so far this year as of 9 June, being the highest for the same period of time since 2014.

 

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 2,181. The total number of deaths is 1,459.

 

Ukraine: Measles [Update]

Ukraine continues to report measles at high levels. 54,065 cases have been reported across the country this year, including 18 deaths.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 18 June 2019)

 

Palau: Dengue Fever [Update]

Dengue fever outbreak has been reported in Palau. A total of 250 cases have been reported since 1 December 2018.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 18 June 2019)