Travel Health Service Year 2023

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. 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

 

Mauritania: Measles

24 May 2023

The Measles outbreak, which began in the last week of 2022 in Mauritania, has grown to 285 suspected cases of measles of which 186 cases were confirmed positive to date. In addition, three deaths have been reported.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 22 May 2023)

 

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Cholera [Update]

24 May 2023

More than 70 cases of Cholera were reported in the space of one week, from May 14 to 20, 2023, in the city of Bukavu. According to the latest data, the Democratic Republic of the Congo reported more than 7200 suspected cases of cholera, including 47 deaths (CFR 0.6%) through March 19 this year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 22 May 2023)

 

Kenya: Anthrax [Update]

24 May 2023

Since April 10, a total of 15 cases of Anthrax and three deaths (20% case fatality) have been reported in Muranga County in central Kenya.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 22 May 2023)

 

South Africa: Cholera [Update]

24 May 2023

South African officials confirmed that the cumulative number of positive Cholera cases has increased to 22, following the detection of four more cases in Gauteng, and seven cases in Vredefort and Parys areas under Free State Province.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 21 May 2023)

 

South Africa: Measles [Update]

24 May 2023

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases reported 1,004 confirmed Measles cases in South Africa from October 2022 through May 11, 2023.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 21 May 2023)

 

Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe: Cholera [Update]

24 May 2023

As of 29 April 2023, the cumulative confirmed Cholera cases and deaths reported in Malawi since the onset of the outbreak is 58,557 and 1,756 respectively, with Case Fatality Rate at 3.0%.

Cholera outbreak has been reported from Sofala and Zambezia provinces of Mozambique. From 14 September 2022 to 29 April 2023, a total of 29,280 cases and 131 deaths (CFR 0.4%) have been reported from 10 provinces and 58 districts.

A total of 23 cholera cases have been laboratory-confirmed as positive in Tanzania.

Cumulatively, 468 cases and 11 deaths (CFR = 2.4%) have reported in Zambia as of 1 May 2023.

As of May 16, 2023, a cumulative total of 1,017 suspected cholera cases, six laboratory-confirmed deaths, 20 suspected cholera deaths, and 288 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported in Zimbabwe.


(Source: Outbreak News Today 20 May 2023)

 

USA: Mpox (monkeypox)

24 May 2023

Since March, 24 Mpox cases have been confirmed with an additional two probable cases in Chicago, USA.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 18 May 2023)

 

Sri Lanka: Dengue Fever [Update]

24 May 2023

Since the beginning of 2023, the National Dengue Control Unit in Sri Lanka has reported 35,419 Dengue cases, with approximately half from the Western Province. This figure are around three times higher than the cases recorded in the corresponding period of the last two years.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 21 May 2023)

 

Brazil: Dengue and Chikungunya Fever [Update]

24 May 2023

To date, Brazil has reported 1.5 million total Dengue fever cases, including 387 deaths, according to the Pan American Health Organization.

Through May 6, Brazil has reported 124,270 total Chikungunya cases, including 25 deaths.


(Source: Outbreak News Today 22 May 2023)

 

Argentina: Dengue Fever [Update]

24 May 2023

The Argentina Ministry of Health reported that starting July 31, 2022 through May 14, 2023, 100,675 cases of Dengue were registered in Argentina, of which 93,844 are autochthonous. 57 cases were notified to the National Health Surveillance System as deceased (fatality of 0.06%).

(Source: Outbreak News Today 21 May 2023)

 

Panama: Dengue Fever, Hantavirus, Malaria, Leishmaniasis and Chikungunya [Update]

24 May 2023

The Panama Minister of Health reported 1,661 confirmed cases of Dengue throughout the country.

Regarding the confirmed cases with Hantavirus to date, a total of 17 cases have been registered throughout the country.

The accumulated confirmed cases of Malaria so far in 2023 are 4,192.

Concerning cases of Leishmaniasis, they remain at 628 accumulated cases so far in 2023.

Seven cases of Chikungunya have been reported.


(Source: Outbreak News Today 21 May 2023)

 

Paraguay: Dengue and Chikungunya Fever [Update]

24 May 2023

In the last three weeks, 2,970 cases of Chikungunya have been registered in Paraguay.

According to the updated report, 800 cases of Dengue were identified in the last three weeks, compared to the 716 cases reported the previous week, for the last three weeks of said period.


(Source: Outbreak News Today 21 May 2023)

 

Malaysia: Rabies [Update]

24 May 2023

Health officials in Malaysia reported that there have been nine deaths recorded from 11 cases of Rabies infection in humans in Sarawak as of May 2023.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 23 May 2023)

 

Afghanistan: Poliomyelitis [Update]

24 May 2023

Two wild poliovirus-1 (WPV1) cases were reported in Nangarhar province in Afghanistan this past week making them the first cases from Afghanistan this year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 19 May 2023)