Travel Health Service Year 2020

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. 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.

For more information on dengue fever, including the latest situation in neighbouring and overseas countries and areas, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage at https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/38847.html

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

7 February 2020

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues. The total number of cases has reached 3,430 and the total number of deaths is 2,247. 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 6 February 2020)

Pakistan: Poliomyelitis

7 February 2020

Eight additional wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases were reported in Pakistan. This brings the number of cases in 2020 to 7 and 144 for 2019 in Pakistan.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 6 February 2020)