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	371	World Health Organization, 25 April 2019
Brazil	586,569	World Health Organization, 2 May 2019
Cambodia	1,330	World Health Organization, 28 February 2019
Guangdong, China	63	Health Commission of Guangdong Province, 15 April 2019
Japan	86^{^}	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 23 April 2019
Lao PDR	1,752	World Health Organization, 25 April 2019
Malaysia	41,443	World Health Organization, 25 April 2019
Mexico	12,114	World Health Organization, 2 May 2019
The Philippines	59,139	World Health Organization, 25 April 2019
Singapore	2,869^@	Singapore National Environment Agency, 2 May 2019
Sri Lanka	15,556	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 2 May 2019
Taiwan, China	1”	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 2 May 2019
Thailand	18,105	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 30 April 2019
Vietnam	52,482	World Health Organization, 25 April 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.

New Zealand: Measles [Update]

New Zealand as reported 111 measles cases thus far in 2019, including 14 cases in past week. Auckland health officials are officially reported 40 confirmed cases.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 6 May 2019)

Ukraine: Measles [Update]

Ukraine continues to report measles at high levels. 45,147 cases have been reported across the country, including 17 deaths.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 6 May 2019)

Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) recently recorded a new case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in Riyadh, making 136 cases of since the beginning of 2019. Wadi-ad-Dasawir recorded a large outbreak with 61 cases.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 6 May 2019)

State of California, USA: Measles [Update]

USA California State has reported measles outbreak. 40 cases have been recorded so far this year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 5 May 2019)

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 1,529, including 1,463 confirmed and 66 probable cases. The total number of deaths is 1,008.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 3 May 2019)

Mongolia: Plague

Health authorities in Mongolia are reporting two deaths in Ulgii district in westernmost Mongolia. Preliminary test results show that bubonic plague is the likely caused the deaths of the husband and wife. It is reported that the couple contracted the deadly infection after consuming infected marmot.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 3 May 2019)

Nepal: Avian Influenza

The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division of the Nepal Ministry of Health and Population confirmed Thursday the first human fatality due to H5N1 avian influenza infection.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 3 May 2019)

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 1,510, including 1,444 confirmed and 66 probable cases. The total number of deaths is 994.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 2 May 2019)

Ukraine: Measles [Update]

Ukraine continues to report measles at high levels. From the beginning of this year to 27 April, 43,783 cases have been reported across the country, including 16 deaths.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 30 April 2019)

The Philippines: Measles [Update]

The Philippines Department of Health has declared an outbreak of measles cases nationwide. During 1 January – 13 April 2019, a total of 31,056 cases have been reported across the country, including more than 400 deaths.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 30 April 2019)

Thailand: Diphtheria

Thailand reported a diphtheria incidence rate that is two times higher than the same period of last year (2018). Through Apr. 27, there had been nine confirmed diphtheria cases of which two died.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 30 April 2019)