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
Equatorial Guinea: Marburg Virus Disease [Update]
3 April 2023
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week issued a travel notice (Alert Level 2 -Yellow) for
Equatorial Guinea due to the expanding and ongoing
Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) outbreak.
Paraguay: Chikungunya [Update]
3 April 2023
In the last three epidemiological weeks (EW 10, 11 and 12 of the year 2023), 14,588 cases of
Chikungunya have been reported in
Paraguay, of which 49% are in Asunción and Central, and 51% in the interior of the country.
Argentina: Dengue fever, Chikungunya [Update]
3 April 2023
The National Ministry of Health reports that up to epidemiological week 12 of 2023 (from March 19 to 25), 16,143 cases of
Dengue were reported in the country, of which 14,224 acquired the infection in
Argentina. Concerning
Chikungunya fever, 657 cases have been registered so far, of which 244 acquired the infection in
Argentina, 159 are under investigation and 254 acquired the infection outside the country.
Vietnam: Chickenpox and Dengue Fever [Update]
31 March 2023
From the beginning of 2023,
Hanoi has recorded 634 cases of
Chickenpox (while in the same period in 2022, there were only 6 cases). The city has also recorded 189 cases of
Dengue Fever (an increase of nearly 19 times compared to the same period in 2022).
Philippines: Measles and Dengue Fever [Update]
31 March 2023
Health officials in the
Philippines report 208
Measles cases from the beginning of the year through March 11, a 478 percent increase over the 36 cases reported during the same period in 2022.
Dengue Fever cases have also roughly doubled in 2023 through March 11, from 12,772 cases last year to 25,248 cases this year.
Equatorial Guinea: Marburg Virus Disease [Update]
31 March 2023
Health officials in
Equatorial Guinea have confirmed four more
Marburg Virus Disease cases in the country's outbreaks, raising the confirmed total to 13. Two more of the lab-confirmed patients died from their infections, raising the fatality count to nine.
Earlier in the outbreak the country also reported 20 probable cases, all fatal.
(Source: CIDRAP 30 March 2023)
Chile: Avian Influenza (H5N1)
31 March 2023
The Ministry of Health reports the first case of
Avian Influenza (H5N1) in humans in
Chile, reported in northern Chile. The individual is a 53-year-old man and he is currently stable. The source of infection is investigated.
Russia: Opisthorchiasis
31 March 2023
In
Russia, the number of cases of
Opisthorchiasis increased in the Novosibirsk Region in 2022. This is a parasitic disease caused by flatworms. Last year the number of cases was 2,566 people, which is 1,076 more than in 2021, when the incidence was at the level of 1,490 people.
Peru: Leptospirosis
31 March 2023
Currently, 20 cases of
Leptospirosis have been registered in Lambayeque,
Peru. The intense rains caused the collapse of the drainage system in various parts of the region. This has resulted in the proliferation of leptospirosis.
Mainland China: Avian Influenza
28 March 2023
Chinese health officials are reporting one case of H3N8
Avian Influenza in Zhongshan City. The case was a 56-year-old female with multiple myeloma and other basic medical history. She had a history of exposure to live poultry before the onset of the disease, and a history of wild bird activities around her home.
Togo: Meningitis [Update]
28 March 2023
The Togolese Ministry of Health now reports a total of 123 suspected cases of
Meningitis reported in the Oti Sud district, including 12 deaths, through March 19.
Kazakhstan: Measles [Update]
28 March 2023
The Sanitary Epidemiological Control Committee of the Health Ministry reports 145 suspected
Measles cases, of which 75 (68 among kids under 14, and seven in adults) are confirmed nationally through March 27.