Current 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
Denmark: Pertussis [Update]
29 September 2023
Denmark health authority reports during the spring and summer, the weekly number of
Pertussis cases has increased significantly, in fact officials are now seeing levels that are more than ten times higher than normal. In week 37 alone (the week ending September 16), 200 cases of pertussis were detected, and for comparison, the incidence in the period between the two most recent epidemics was on average approximately 20 cases per week.
USA: Plague [Update]
29 September 2023
Colorado health officials report investigating a confirmed case of human
Plague in Archuleta County, Colorado. Officials say the individual died.
Jamaica: Dengue Fever [Update]
29 September 2023
A
Dengue outbreak was declared in
Jamaica on September 23. As of Friday, September 22, Jamaica had recorded 565 suspected, presumed and confirmed cases of dengue.
Vietnam: Mpox (monkeypox)
29 September 2023
On September 26, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health said that a male patient diagnosed with
Mpox is currently being isolated and treated at the Ho Chi Minh City Tropical Diseases Hospital. This is the first domestic Mpox case discovered in Ho Chi Minh City. In addition, a person who had close contact with this patient was also determined to have Mpox.
Mainland China: Avian Influenza [Update]
29 September 2023
An additional human case of Avian Influenza A(H5N6) has been reported in Mainland China, according to a Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection (CHP) report. The case involves a 68-year-old male living in Chongqing, who had exposure to live domestic poultry before the onset of symptoms. He developed symptoms on August 5 and was admitted for treatment on August 10. He passed away on August 20.
From 2014 to date, 87 human cases of avian influenza A(H5N6) have been reported by Mainland health authorities.
USA: Dengue Fever [Update]
27 September 2023
Florida state health officials of
the United States of America reported eight additional locally acquired
Dengue Fever cases in Miami-Dade County in the past week, bringing the county total to 26 this year. Statewide, 31 dengue local transmission cases have been reported in Florida, which also include three cases in Broward County and one each in Hardee and Polk counties.
Costa Rica: Malaria [Update]
27 September 2023
The
Costa Rican health ministry carried out field interventions this past weekend to contain the
Malaria outbreak in the Bahía Ballena district in Osa, after the detection of eight cases of malaria. These cases involve four women and four men, of which seven are hospitalized in stable condition and already have the respective medical evaluation and receiving timely treatment.
Taiwan: Dengue Fever [Update]
27 September 2023
The
Taiwan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 2,017 new local cases of
Dengue Fever in the country last week (September 19 to September 25 this year).
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Mpox (monkeypox)
26 September 2023
The National
Monkeypox Coordination has reported over 6,900 cases of Monkeypox disease, including 328 deaths, since the beginning of the year in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo. The disease affects 159 of the 519 health zones in DRC. Children aged 5 to 15 are the most affected.
Nigeria, Guinea and Vietnam: Diphtheria
26 September 2023
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued or updated travel notices for three countries in Africa and Asia experiencing outbreaks of Diphtheria.
In Nigeria, seven states (Lagos, Osun, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano and Yobe states and the Federal Capital Territory) have been affected. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Between week 19, 2022 and week 31, 2023, 4 160 suspected cases of diphtheria were reported from 27 states in Nigeria.
In Guinea, outbreaks of diphtheria have been reported from several districts in the eastern part of the country–Kouroussa, Siguiri, Kankan and Mandiana. As of 27 August 2023, 117 suspected cases have been reported, including seven confirmed cases, all of whom have died.
Several provinces in northern Vietnam are experiencing outbreaks, namely Dien Bien, Ha Giang and Thai Nguyen.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Tuberculosis
26 September 2023
The coordinating doctor of the Leprosy and
Tuberculosis program in South Kivu,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dr Freddy Birembano reports that in 2022, more than 10,000 cases of tuberculosis have been recorded in the province of South Kivu.
Italy: Dengue Fever [Update]
26 September 2023
According to Italian Health authorities, there are 27 confirmed cases of
Dengue transmitted locally in
Italy been reported and notified as of 18 September 2023.
USA: Influenza
26 September 2023
Montana state health officials reported on a human infection with a
Novel influenza A virus. The patient was infected with an influenza A(H1N2) variant (A(H1N2)v) virus. This is the third human infection with a variant influenza A virus reported in the
United States in 2023, including one infection with an H3v (Michigan) virus and two infections with H1N2v (Michigan, Montana) viruses.
Bangladesh: Dengue Fever [Update]
26 September 2023
According to data published by The Directorate General of Health Services in
Bangladesh, an additional 3,008
Dengue fever hospitalizations were reported, bringing the cumulative total for this record season in the country to 187,725. The previous record was 101,354 cases registered in 2019. Officials also recorded 16 additional fatalities, putting the death tally for 2023 to 909. Two-thirds of the deaths (603) are from Dhaka city. 281 deaths were recorded in 2022, the previous national record.
Jamaica: Dengue Fever
26 September 2023
The Ministry of Health & Wellness has declared an outbreak of
Dengue for
Jamaica. The outbreak comes as the Ministry’s National Surveillance Unit advised that Jamaica has surpassed the Dengue epidemic threshold for July and August and is on a trajectory to do the same for the month of September. This means, the country has seen an increase in the number of cases compared to what is normally seen during these months of the year.
Paraguay: Dengue Fever
26 September 2023
In the latest report from the
Paraguay Ministry of Health, it shows that in the last three weeks 118 cases of
Dengue have been reported in the country. 90% of the cases come from five regions: Central (31), Pdte. Hayes (24), Concepción (22), Asunción (20) and Itapúa (9).
Bolivia: Hantavirus
26 September 2023
Hantavirus has already caused 14 infections this year in four departments in
Bolivia, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
Philippines: Dengue Fever [Update]
26 September 2023
Officials with the Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Health Office report
Dengue fever cases are up in
Philippines this year, particularly in past months since the onset of the rainy season. According to health data, for the period of January to September 4, a total of 2,413 dengue cases were recorded by the Provincial Department of Health Office. This is a notable increase as compared to the 2,386 recorded cases in all of 2022.
Cambodia: Zika Virus
26 September 2023
Today, the
Cambodia MOH reported the first
Zika virus case since 2016. The patient is a seven-year-old girl from central Kampong Thom province.
Vietnam: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
26 September 2023
In the week ending September 9,
Vietnam health authorities reported 4,324 cases of
Hand, foot and mouth disease, including one death in Dak Lak.
Laos: Mpox (monkeypox)
26 September 2023
The Center of Information and Education for Health in
Laos reported the first confirmed case of
Monkeypox infection in the country on September 8.
Japan: Japanese Encephalitis
26 September 2023
In
Japan, officials in Kumamoto Prefecture report a
Japanese encephalitis case in a man in his 70s from Tamana County this past week. This is the first confirmed case in Japan this year.