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
Vietnam: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
2 June 2023
To date, statistics showed that the number of
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease in
Vietnam has not increased compared to 2022, but the number of severe patients has increased over the same period, there have been 5 severe cases, including one death.
South Africa: Cholera [Update]
1 June 2023
According to the Gauteng Department of Health in
South Africa, the
Cholera death toll in Hammanskraal has reached 23 as of May this past weekend. Health officials said 229 patients have been seen at the Jubilee District Hospital since 15 May 2023.
Senegal: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever
31 May 2023
Two cases of
Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever were reported in
Senegal so far. The first case occurred in Dakar region and the second case from the Louga region.
Cote d' Ivoire: Yellow Fever
31 May 2023
A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive case of
Yellow Fever was reported in
Côte d’Ivoire. The patient is a 35-year-old male from Cocody-Bengerville in Abidjan.
Ethiopia: Dengue Fever [Update]
31 May 2023
The WHO reports a total of 1,638 suspected and confirmed cases of
Dengue Fever and nine associated deaths (case fatality ratio= 0.5%) in Logia and Mille districts in
Ethiopia from April 4 through May 10 this year.
Namibia: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever
31 May 2023
South Africa: Mumps [Update]
31 May 2023
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases reports from epidemiological week 01 in 2023 to week 17 2023, 1702 test results were available of which 580
Mumps test positives were identified in
South Africa.
United Kingdom: Mpox (monkeypox)
31 May 2023
The
UK Health Security Agency reports 10 cases of
Mpox diagnosed in the UK since the last epidemiological update on 4 May. This brings the total number of new cases in the UK since the beginning of the year to 20.
Georgia: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever
31 May 2023
Over the past period, 8 cases of
Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) have been recorded in
Georgia, mainly in the regions of Samtskhe-Javakheti and Shida Kartli.
American Samoa: Measles [Update]
31 May 2023
As of the 25 May 2023, the emergency declaration for
Measles was extended for another two weeks until 8 June in
American Samoa. There have been two laboratory confirmed measles cases and 74 probable cases.
Vanuatu: Leptospirosis [Update]
31 May 2023
The
Vanuatu Ministry of Health reported seven new
Leptospirosis cases from 15 May to 24 May. This brings the total cases to 75 since the beginning of the year, including 6 deaths.
Bangladesh: Dengue Fever
31 May 2023
Bangladesh health authorities have reported 1,843
Dengue Fever cases through May 29, a 5.75 times increase compared to the same period in 2022 (320). In addition, 13 dengue related deaths have been reported during the first five months of this year.
Malaysia: Dengue Fever [Update]
31 May 2023
The
Malaysia Ministry of Health has reported 43,619
Dengue Fever cases through May 21, an increase of 170 percent compared to the same period in 2022 (16,144). In addition, a total of 28 deaths due to dengue fever complications have been reported compared to nine deaths for the same period in 2022.
Afghanistan: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever
31 May 2023
Health officials in
Afghanistan reported that in the past week 10 positive cases of
Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) have been recorded in north region of the country, and two people have died.
Thailand: Dengue Fever [Update]
31 May 2023
Thailand health authorities reported that through epidemiology week 20, 16,650 total
Dengue cases, including 14 deaths have been recorded. This is up from 2220 cases and 3 deaths during the same period in 2022.
Japan: Syphilis, Measles, Mpox (monkeypox) [Update]
31 May 2023
The Japan National Institute of Infectious Diseases reports 5,164 total Syphilis cases through May 17. This compares to 3,630 cases during the same period last year. Tokyo accounts for 1,332 cases, followed by 699 in Osaka and 305 cases in Hokkaido.
Officials in Japan have reported seven Measles cases putting health authorities on high alert. To date, three cases have been reported in Tokyo, with the remainder reported in Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Niigata and Osaka.
Japan health officials reported 44 additional Mpox cases since April 24, bring the total confirmed cases to 163 as of May 21, 2023.
Afghanistan: Poliomyelitis [Update]
31 May 2023
The
Afghanistan Health Ministry reports another
wild Poliovirus case in Nangarhar province. The patient is a 30-month-old male child from the Nazyan district.
United Kingdom: Avian Influenza
31 May 2023
In mid-May,
UK health officials reported to WHO the detection of
Avian Influenza A(H5N1) virus in a poultry worker at a farm in England where poultry was infected with high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) viruses. Another detection was reported in a second individual performing culling operations on the farm. Both cases were asymptomatic and detected as part of an ongoing enhanced surveillance study of asymptomatic workers exposed to poultry infected with avian influenza.
(Source: WHO 30 May 2023)