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	1,268	World Health Organization, 21 November 2019
Brazil	2,070,170	World Health Organization, 28 November 2019
Guangdong, China	5,315	Health Commission of Guangdong Province, 15 November 2019
India	91,457	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 31 October 2019
Japan	425^{^}	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 26 November 2019
Lao PDR	33,728	World Health Organization, 21 November 2019
Malaysia	114,745	World Health Organization, 21 November 2019
Mexico	237,349	World Health Organization, 28 November 2019
The Philippines	387,254	World Health Organization, 21 November 2019
Singapore	14,860^@	Singapore National Environment Agency, 28 November 2019
Sri Lanka	78,260	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 28 November 2019
Taiwan, China	598	Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, 28 November 2019
Thailand	116,462	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 19 November 2019
Vietnam	241,863	World Health Organization, 21 November 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]

3 December 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,313 and the total number of deaths is 2,202. 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 2 December 2019)

Samoa: Measles [Update]

3 December 2019

The Samoa government has declared a state of emergency due to measles outbreak. Currently, 3,728 cases have been reported including 53 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 1 December 2019)

Mainland China: Plague [Update]

2 December 2019

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is closely monitoring an additional plague case affecting a herder in Inner Mongolia.

According to the Health Commission of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the patient was diagnosed to have bubonic plague on November 27 and had been to a place where plague was known to occur. The patient has been admitted to hospital for treatment under isolation and is in stable condition. Four close contacts have remained asymptomatic so far, and are under medical surveillance.

So far, four cases of plague have been confirmed in the Mainland since November 2019. The other three cases include two cases of pneumonic plague in Beijing, involving a couple from Inner Mongolia; and a case of bubonic plague, involving a man in Inner Mongolia. The CHP issued press releases on these cases on November 14 and 18 respectively to urge the community to heighten their vigilance against plague. According to the latest information from the National Health Commission, all close contacts of the three patients have remained asymptomatic and were released from medical surveillance. As of November 28, apart from the above four plague cases, no additional cases have been reported in the Mainland thereafter.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 29 November 2019)

Southeast Asia: Dengue Fever [Update]

2 December 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 November 22 to 28, the CHP recorded two imported DF cases. The patients had respectively been to Guangdong in Mainland China (one case) and Vietnam (one case) during the incubation period.

As of yesterday, 193 cases had been recorded this year (including 192 imported cases and one local case), as compared with 157 cases recorded in the same period last year. The imported cases were mainly from Thailand (32), Malaysia (27) and the Philippines (24).

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 this year. The numbers of cases in some countries were significantly higher than the numbers for the same period in 2018, including Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Separately, according to the Health Commission of Guangdong Province, as of October 31, 5,315 cases had been recorded in Guangdong this year, which was significantly higher than that in the same period last year (2,752 cases). The numbers of cases recorded in August, September and October were 1,209, 1 430 and 1 880 respectively. In Taiwan, as of November 28, 598 cases (including 100 local cases) had been recorded in 2019.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 29 November 2019)

Bangladesh: Dengue fever [Update]

2 December 2019

Bangladesh is seeing the largest outbreak of dengue fever cases in history since July this year. 100,021 cases have been recorded this year, including at least 121 deaths registered officially.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 30 November 2019)

Sri Lanka: Dengue Fever [Update]

2 December 2019

Sri Lanka is seeing high activity of dengue fever this year, including capital Colombo. 78,429 cases have been recorded this year. 80 deaths have been recorded.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 1 December 2019)

New Zealand: Measles [Update]

2 December 2019

New Zealand national measles outbreak continues, with 2,113 cases reported so far in 2019. Auckland health officials are officially reported 1,692 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: UK National Travel Health Network & Centre 28 November 2019)

(Source: New Zealand Ministry of Health 2 December 2019)

Mainland China: Plague [Update]

29 November 2019

China has reported fifth human plague cases this year. The latest added case was a patient from Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia. He is reported to be in stable condition and being treated in a local hospital.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 28 November 2019)

(Source: Taiwan Centers for Disease Control 28 November 2019)

Tonga: Measles [Update]

29 November 2019

Tonga is currently experiencing measles outbreak. 394 cases have been recorded as of 26 November. 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 28 November 2019)

California, USA: Mumps

29 November 2019

Health officials in San Diego County, California, USA issued a health advisory on 27 November due to an unusually high number of cases of mumps being reported in the region. 60 residents have been reported with confirmed or probable mumps, the most reported in 25 years.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 27 November 2019)

Pakistan: Poliomyelitis

29 November 2019

Through national disease surveillance, an outbreak of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type-2 (cVDPV2) has been confirmed in Pakistan in 2019. Between 7 July and 3 November 2019, 11 children have been paralysed from cVDPV2 in Pakistan.

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

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Plague [Update]

28 November 2019

An outbreak of human plague has been reported in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, namely Ituri Province. Until 3 November, A total of 38 cases of bubonic plague and 8 deaths have been reported since the beginning of this year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 27 November 2019)

(Source: WHO African Regional Office 27 November 2019)

Samoa: Measles [Update]

28 November 2019

The Samoa government has declared a state of emergency due to measles outbreak. Currently, 2,686 cases have been reported including 33 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 27 November 2019)

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

27 November 2019

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,304 and the total number of deaths is 2,198. 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 26 November 2019)

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Measles [Update]

27 November 2019

Measles activity in Democratic Republic of the Congo remains high. 250,270 cases have been reported this year as of 3 November, including 5,110 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