Travel Health Service Year 2023

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

Take precautions against Mpox (also known as monkeypox) when travelling abroad

Mpox (also known as monkeypox) is a zoonotic disease caused by Mpox virus. Often found in tropical forest regions of Central and West Africa. It is mainly transmitted by contact with infected animals, human-to-human transmission is limited. Incubation period is mainly from 6 to 13 days, symptoms are similar with Smallpox infection, but less severe.

Since 6 May 2022, multiple outbreaks were reported in Europe and North America countries, and many patient are self-identified as bisexual or men who have sex with men. Travellers planning to travel in these areas should avoid contact with infected person. Travellers returning from these areas shall notify the doctor to seek medical treatment and inform the travel situation if feeling unwell.

For more information on Mpox, including the latest situation in overseas countries or places, please visit the World Health Organization and Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpages at: https://www.who.int/health-topics/monkeypox#tab=tab_1
https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/105683.html

Honduras: Leptospirosis

13 November 2023

The Ministry of Health of Honduras has issued a preventive epidemiological alert for Leptospirosis at the national level that is valid for one month starting November 6 throughout the country. Through November 4, Honduras has seen a total of 353 patients suspected of leptospirosis, including 26 confirmed cases.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 11 November 2023)

Jamaica: Dengue Fever [Update]

13 November 2023

The Jamaica Ministry of Health, in an update last week, reports 3,147 suspected, presumed, and confirmed Dengue cases as of Wednesday, November 8, 2023. Of the cases classified, 870 are confirmed cases. This is a significant increase in cases compared to the 81 total dengue cases reported during the same period in 2022.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 13 November 2023)

USA: Meningococcal Disease [Update]

13 November 2023

After reporting zero new Meningococcal Disease cases in September this year, the Florida Department of Health saw three additional confirmed cases in October and one in November to date.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 11 November 2023)

USA: Chikungunya Fever

13 November 2023

Concerning dengue relative, chikungunya, one case of travel-associated Chikungunya Fever has been reported in Lee County in USA earlier this year. This would be the first autochthonous chikungunya case of 2023 in the state.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 11 November 2023)

USA: Salmonella [Update]

13 November 2023

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States of America issued a pet food safety alert after reporting a multistate Salmonella Kiambu outbreak linked to Victor brand Hi-Pro Plus dry dog food, manufactured by Mid America Pet Food. Seven cases have been reported from seven states—Alabama, California, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Minnesota and Oklahoma—One person has been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 10 November 2023)

Brazil, Paraguay and Burkina Faso: Chikungunya Fever [Update]

13 November 2023

Brazil has reported the most cases in the Americas with more than 218,000 cases, followed by Paraguay with 123,000-plus cases.

Paraguay accounts for 272 of the Chikungunya deaths this year.

In Africa, 23 new cases and no new deaths of chikungunya were reported from Burkina Faso this past week, according to the Africa CDC. Cumulatively, 472 cases (237 confirmed; 235 suspected) and no deaths of chikungunya have been reported from five of 70 health districts in Burkina Faso: Pouytenga, Ouagadougou, Zorgho , Koudougou and Bobo.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 10 November 2023)

South Korea: Pertussis

13 November 2023

Officials with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the number of pertussis, or whooping cough cases in 2023 to date is up 232 percent compared to the same period in 2022. As of November 4, 83 whooping cough cases have been reported, this compares to 25 reported last year and 15 reported in 2021.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 9 November 2023)

USA: Dengue Fever [Update]

13 November 2023

Health officials in Florida, the United States of America reported an additional 12 autochthonous Dengue Fever cases in Miami-Dade County in the past week. This brings the total local cases to 103 in the county.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 9 November 2023)

Zimbabwe: Cholera [Update]

13 November 2023

Zimbabwe recorded 5,964 suspected Cholera cases, 1,055 confirmed cases, 5,696 recoveries, 43 Confirmed deaths and 123 suspected deaths as of 29 October 2023.

The cholera outbreak has spread rapidly, affecting 43 districts across Zimbabwe.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 7 November 2023)

Zimbabwe: Anthrax

13 November 2023

According to the Weekly Disease Surveillance Report for the Week Ending 15 October 2023, 18 new anthrax cases and zero deaths were reported in Zimbabwe this week. The cases were reported from Gokwe South District (12) and Gokwe North District (6) in Midlands Province.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 7 November 2023)

Zimbabwe: Mumps

13 November 2023

Zimbabwe reported 1,326 new cases of Mumps and 0 zero deaths the week ending October 15.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 7 November 2023)

Costa Rica: Dengue Fever [Update]

13 November 2023

In a follow-up on the Dengue Fever situation in Costa Rica this year, the Ministry of Health now reports 18,194 cases through October 21.

The dengue cases registered this year are concentrated in the Huetar Caribe region with 5,218 cases, followed by the Central North with 4,110 cases and the Central Pacific with 2,556 cases.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 6 November 2023)

Norway: Escherchia Coli [Update]

13 November 2023

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health reports 24 infections have been reported in the ongoing EHEC outbreak. The affected were in the age range of one to 55 and live in Trøndelag (15), Viken (4), Vestfold and Telemark (2), Innlandet (1), Møre and Romsdal (1) and Nordland (1) from July to October 2023.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 5 November 2023)

Italy: Dengue Fever [Update]

13 November 2023

According to Italian health authorities, there are 68 locally transmitted dengue infections in the country through October 30.

These cases include four unconnected transmission episodes in the province of Lodi (36 confirmed cases), in the province of Latina (2 cases) and in the province of Rome (29 cases with exposures in different parts of the metropolitan city of Rome and 1 case in Anzio, for which investigations are underway to verify any epidemiological links).

(Source: Outbreak News Today 5 November 2023)

Italy: West Nile Virus [Update]

13 November 2023

Since the beginning of May, 322 confirmed cases of West Nile Virus infection in humans have been reported in Italy. Among the confirmed cases, 21 deaths have been reported.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 5 November 2023)

Norway: Salmonella

13 November 2023

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has reported a nationwide outbreak of Salmonella Napoli. To date, seven people have been infected living in different parts of the country-Vestfold and Telemark (2), Viken (1), Oslo (1), Rogaland (1), Agder (1) and Innlandet (1) from the end of August 2023 until the end of September 2023.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 5 November 2023)

Zambia: Anthrax

13 November 2023

According to Zambia health officials, 335 human cases of Anthrax, including four deaths have been reported in six of the 10 provinces in Zambia.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 4 November 2023)

Guinea: Poliomyelitis [Update]

13 November 2023

In its weekly update, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative said one country has reported a new Polio case, Guinea, which reported another illness involving circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2). The infection involves a patient from Kankan province and brings the country's total to eight for the year.

(Source: CIDRAP 11 November 2023)