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

741

World Health Organization, 18 July 2019

Brazil

1,281,759

World Health Organization, 25 July 2019

Guangdong, China

394

Health Commission of Guangdong Province, 12 July 2019

India

5,504

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

Japan

172^

National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 23 July 2019

Lao PDR

11,455

World Health Organization, 18 July 2019

Malaysia

68,950

World Health Organization, 18 July 2019

Mexico

32,856

World Health Organization, 25 July 2019

The Philippines

106,630

World Health Organization, 18 July 2019

Singapore

8,419@

Singapore National Environment Agency, 25 July 2019

Sri Lanka

31,950

Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 25 July 2019

Taiwan, China

312

CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 25 July 2019

Thailand

53,699

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 23 July 2019

Vietnam

81,132

World Health Organization, 18 July 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]

30 July 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,671. The total number of deaths is 1,782, including the first and fatal case from North Kivu capital 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

 

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Measles [Update]

30 July 2019

Measles activity in Democratic Republic of the Congo remains high. 120,635 cases have been reported this year, including 2,162 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: Outbreak News Today 29 July 2019)

 

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

29 July 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,630. The total number of deaths is 1,762, including the first and fatal case from North Kivu capital 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: Dengue fever [Update]

29 July 2019

Bangladesh is seeing a surge of dengue fever cases since July this year. 10,528 cases have been recorded this year, including 8 deaths. For more information on Dengue fever, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/38847.html

(Source: Outbreak News Today 28 July 2019)

 

Southeast Asia: Dengue Fever & Chikungunya Fever [Update]

29 July 2019

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

A. Dengue fever

From July 19 to 25, the CHP confirmed 11 imported DF cases. The patients had been to Cambodia (five cases, including two epidemiologically linked cases), Indonesia (three cases), Thailand (two cases) and Nepal (one case) during the incubation period.

As of July 25, 95 cases had been recorded this year, as compared with 51 cases recorded in the same period last year. All the cases recorded in 2019 were imported, mainly from Malaysia (17), Thailand (17) and Indonesia (16).

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. 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).

B. Chikungunya fever

From July 19 to 25, the CHP confirmed one CF case. The patient had been to Thailand during the incubation period. As of July 25, five confirmed CF cases had been recorded this year, all of which were imported cases from Thailand.

 

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

26 July 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,620. The total number of deaths is 1,756, including the first and fatal case from North Kivu capital 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

 

Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]

26 July 2019

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is closely monitoring seven additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by Saudi Arabia from June 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, of the additional cases, six were male patients and one was a female patient, with ages from 28 to 71. Among them, four had exposure to camels and consumed camel milk, and one was a health care worker who had contact with a previously confirmed patient. Four had underlying illnesses and one has passed away.

According to the latest information, 2,449 cases have been reported to the WHO (with 845 deaths), including 2,230 in 10 Middle East countries comprising 2,058 in Saudi Arabia, 87 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

 

Bangladesh: Dengue fever [Update]

26 July 2019

Bangladesh is seeing a surge of dengue fever cases in July this year. 6,421 cases have been recorded during 1-24 July while the yearly total is at 8,565 cases. For more information on Dengue fever, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/38847.html

(Source: Outbreak News Today 25 July 2019)

 

Cambodia: Dengue Fever

26 July 2019

Cambodia Ministry of Health is reporting dengue fever activity on sharp increase since May this year. As of 5 July, 30,400 cases have been recorded this year. For more information on Dengue fever, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/38847.html

(Source: Taiwan Centers for Disease Control 25 July 2019)
(Source: World Health Organization 25 July 2019)

 

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

25 July 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,612. The total number of deaths is 1,746, including the first and fatal case from North Kivu capital 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

 

Singapore: Dengue Fever [Update]

25 July 2019

Singapore National Environment Agency recorded dengue fever cases five times more than the same period last year. As of 20 July, 8,023 cases were recorded this year. For more information on Dengue fever, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/38847.html

(Source: Outbreak News Today 24 July 2019)

 

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

24 July 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 2,597. The total number of deaths is 1,743, including the first and fatal case from North Kivu capital 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

 

Taiwan, China: Japanese encephalitis [Update]

24 July 2019

Taiwan has reached transmission season of Japanese encephalitis. 15 cases have been recorded this year, including 4 cases in Kaohsiung City, 2 cases each in Chiayi City, Pingtung County, Taichung City and Changhua County respectively, 1 case each in Chiayi County, Hsinchu County and Taoyuan City respectively. 2 fatal cases were recorded. For more information on Japanese Encephalitis, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/49712.html

(Source: Taiwan Centers for Disease Control 23 July 2019)