Current Travel Health News

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,976, including four cases from North Kivu capital. The total number of deaths is 1,986, including two cases from 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 is seeing the largest outbreak of dengue fever cases in history since July this year. 63,514 cases have been recorded this year, including 47 deaths.

Measles activity in Democratic Republic of the Congo remains high. 155,460 cases have been reported this year, including 2,953 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

Spain has reported an outbreak of listeriosis linked to contaminated meat products. 175 confirmed cases including 2 deaths have been recorded. Spain’s health ministry has issued alerts to EU authorities and the World Health Organization.

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

A. Dengue fever

From August 16 to 22, the CHP recorded 10 imported DF cases. The patients had been to Thailand (three cases), India (two cases), the Philippines (two cases), Malaysia (one case), Myanmar (one case) and Vietnam (one case) during the incubation period.

As of August 22, 123 cases had been recorded this year, as compared with 86 cases recorded in the same period last year. All the cases recorded in 2019 were imported, mainly from Thailand (26), Malaysia (21), Cambodia (18) and Indonesia (18).

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 July 31, 796 cases have been recorded in Guangdong this year, which was significantly higher than that in the same period last year (121 cases). In Taiwan, 400 cases (including 74 local cases) have been recorded in 2019 (as of August 22). According to the health authority of Taiwan, the number of imported DF cases recorded so far this year was the highest compared to the number for the same period in the past 10 years.

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). Members of the public should stay vigilant and carry out effective mosquito prevention and control measures.

B. Chikungunya fever

From August 16 to 22, the CHP recorded one CF case. The patient had been to Myanmar during the incubation period. As of August 22, seven confirmed CF cases had been recorded this year, including six imported from Thailand and one imported from Myanmar.

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,938, including four cases from North Kivu capital Goma and four cases from South Kivu. The total number of deaths is 1,969, including two cases from Goma and one case from South Kivu. 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 Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,934, including four cases from North Kivu capital Goma and four cases from South Kivu. The total number of deaths is 1,961, including two cases from Goma and one case from South Kivu. 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

Spain has reported an outbreak of listeriosis linked to contaminated meat products. 155 confirmed cases including 1 death have been recorded. Spain’s health ministry has issued alerts to EU authorities and the World Health Organization.

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,927, including four cases from North Kivu capital Goma and three cases from South Kivu. The total number of deaths is 1,953, including two cases from Goma and one case from South Kivu. 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

Taiwan Centers for Disease Control has reminded the public to pay attention to measles prevention. 122 cases have been recorded this year, including 75 domestic cases. 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 2,909, including four cases from North Kivu capital Goma and two cases from South Kivu. The total number of deaths is 1,934, including two cases from Goma and one case from South Kivu. 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