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.
Detailed information on the latest Dengue fever situation in Hong Kong, as well as neighbouring and overseas countries and areas, can be found at the Centre for Health Protection’s website: https://www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/df_imported_cases_and_overseas_figures_eng.pdf
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
Argentina: Psittacosis
22 April 2024
In the past 30 days there appears to have been an increase in severe atypical pneumonia requiring critical care in Buenos Aires,
Argentina. The affected individuals are mostly young people without major risk factors. Informally, 20 of the 60 cases collected presented evidence of
psittacosis with 10 positive by PCR. Many of the affected patients have no apparent history of contact with birds.
(Source: ProMed 17 April 2024)
Colombia: Hepatitis A
19 April 2024
Since January 1st and to date, 431 cases of
Hepatitis A have been reported in
Colombia, that is, an increase of 230% compared to the same period of the previous year in which 179 were reported.
United Kingdom: Measles [Update]
19 April 2024
During the past week, the
UK Health Security Agency reported an additional 86 laboratory confirmed
Measles cases, bringing the total cases to 1,109 since October 1, 2023.
USA: Salmonella [Update]
19 April 2024
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a food safety alert today concerning an outbreak of
Salmonella infections linked to potentially contaminated basil. Officials have received reports of 12 Salmonella infections in seven states in
USA. One person has been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.
Japan: Syphilis [Update]
19 April 2024
Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases has reported 3,332
Syphilis cases through the first week of April. Tokyo has seen the most cases to date with 816, followed by Osaka with 416 and Fukuoka with 200.
Philippines: Measles [Update]
19 April 2024
According to the Department of Health in the
Philippines, data from the start of the year to April 6, 2024 show that there have been 1,627 cases of
Measles in the country, with 4 deaths recorded.
Philippines: Pertussis [Update]
19 April 2024
From the beginning of the year through April 6, 1,477
Pertussis cases, including 63 deaths have been reported in
Philippines. This is 41 times higher than the 36 cases reported during the same period last year.
Indonesia: Dengue Fever [Update]
17 April 2024
The
Indonesia Ministry of Health reports that the number of
Dengue fatalities has risen to 475 through April 13 this year. This is a 179 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023 when 170 deaths were reported.
Kyrgyzstan: Measles
17 April 2024
As of April 8, 7,864 cases of
Measles have been registered in
Kyrgyzstan, according to the Republican Center for Immunoprophylaxis of the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Philippines: Pertussis [Update]
17 April 2024
During the first three months of the year,
Philippines health officials have reported well over 1,100 cases of
Pertussis, which is a more than 30 fold increase over the same period in 2023. More than 50 deaths have been reported, all in young children.
USA: Measles [Update]
17 April 2024
Health officials in the Las Vegas area and Cincinnati have issued warnings about potential
Measles exposures in public locations linked to sick visitors from out of state, part of an ongoing rise in measles activity in the
United States.
(Source: CIDRAP 16 April 2024)