Travel Health Service Year 2019

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	1,073	World Health Organization, 10 October 2019
Brazil	2,042,566	World Health Organization, 24 October 2019
Guangdong, China	3,435	Health Commission of Guangdong Province, 15 October 2019
India	50,903	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 30 September 2019
Japan	386^{^}	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 23 October 2019
Lao PDR	30,662	World Health Organization, 10 October 2019
Malaysia	102,734	World Health Organization, 10 October 2019
Mexico	163,662	World Health Organization, 24 October 2019
The Philippines	322,693	World Health Organization, 10 October 2019
Singapore	13,228^@	Singapore National Environment Agency, 24 October 2019
Sri Lanka	58,680	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 24 October 2019
Taiwan, China	537	Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, 24 October 2019
Thailand	105,190	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 24 October 2019
Vietnam	124,751	World Health Organization, 10 October 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]

29 October 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,264 and the total number of deaths is 2,181. 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

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 28 October 2019)

The Philippines: Poliomyelitis (cVDPV2) [Update]

29 October 2019

The Philippines Department of Health has reported three 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.

(Source: The Philippines Department of Health 28 October 2019)

(Source: Outbreak News Today 28 October 2019)

Bangladesh: Dengue fever [Update]

29 October 2019

Bangladesh is seeing the largest outbreak of dengue fever cases in history since July this year. 95,121 cases have been recorded this year, including 107 deaths registered officially.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 28 October 2019)

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

28 October 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,260 and the total number of deaths is 2,177. 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

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 25 October 2019)

Southeast Asia: Dengue Fever [Update]

28 October 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 October 18 to 24, the CHP confirmed five imported DF cases. The patients had been to India (three cases, including two epidemiologically linked cases) and Guangdong in Mainland China (two cases) during the incubation period.

As of October 24, 174 cases had been recorded this year, as compared with 133 cases recorded in the same period last year. All the cases in 2019 were imported, mainly from Thailand (32), Malaysia (25) and the Philippines (23).

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 September 30, 3,435 cases have been recorded in Guangdong this year, which was significantly higher than that in the same period last year (1,389 cases). In Taiwan, as of yesterday, 537 cases (including 99 local cases) have been recorded in 2019.

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.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 25 October 2019)

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

25 October 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,256 and the total number of deaths is 2,171. 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

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 24 October 2019)

The Philippines: Dengue fever [Update]

25 October 2019

The Philippines Department of Health has declared a National dengue fever alert on 15 July 2019. 350,000 dengue cases, including 1,342 deaths have been recorded.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 24 October 2019)

The Philippines: Diphtheria [Update]

25 October 2019

The Philippines reports an increase in diphtheria cases in 2019. From January to 5 October 2019, there have been 197 cases including 47 deaths.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 24 October 2019)

The Philippines: Measles [Update]

25 October 2019

The Philippines Department of Health has declared an outbreak of measles cases nationwide. This year, over 42,200 cases have been reported across the country, including 566 deaths. The outbreak is on declining trend. 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 24 October 2019)

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

24 October 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,250 and the total number of deaths is 2,171. 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

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 23 October 2019)

Ethiopia: Chikungunya fever [Update]

24 October 2019

An outbreak of Chikungunya fever has been reported in Dire-Dawa, Ethiopia since August this year. 51,361 cases have been reported.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 23 October 2019)

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

23 October 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,248 and the total number of deaths is 2,172. 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

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 22 October 2019)

Ethiopia: Measles

23 October 2019

Ethiopia has reported outbreak of measles. 8,514 cases have been recorded this year, including 57 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

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 22 October 2019)

Lebanon: Measles

23 October 2019

Lebanon has reported outbreak of measles. 1,171 cases have been recorded since November 2018. 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 22 October 2019)

Bangladesh: Dengue fever [Update]

23 October 2019

Bangladesh is seeing the largest outbreak of dengue fever cases in history since July this year. 93,807 cases have been recorded this year, including 104 deaths registered officially.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 22 October 2019)