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 wer
e 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
Ethiopia: Marburg Virus Disease [Update]
15 December 2025
The
Ethiopia Ministry of Health reported the following update on the
Marburg Virus Disease outbreak today: No new confirmed cases or deaths that day but one additional recovery, bringing totals to 14 confirmed cases, 9 deaths, and 5 recoveries out of 1,843 investigations.
France: Measles [Update]
15 December 2025
Since January 1, 2025, 868 cases of
measles have occurred and been reported in
France (an increase of 2 new cases in November).
Hong Kong: Chikungunya Fever [Update]
15 December 2025
In a follow-up on the
chikungunya situation in
Hong Kong, The Centre for Health Protection reports recording one new local case of chikungunya fever, involving a patient who visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails during the incubation period. Hong Kong has recorded a total of 79 confirmed CF cases this year. Among them, 11 were local cases, and the rest were imported cases.
Philippines: Dengue Fever [Update]
15 December 2025
The
Quezon City Epidemiology and Surveillance Division, in an update this week, reports a total of 10,740
dengue fever cases were reported in the city from Jan 1 to Dec 11. In addition, 46 dengue related deaths have been reported.
Senegal: Rift Valley Fever [Update]
15 December 2025
In
Senegal, the
Rift Valley Fever outbreak is ongoing with 546 confirmed cases and 31 deaths. The outbreak has spread across 11 regions, with Saint-Louis recording the highest number at 367 cases.
Mexico: Measles [Update]
15 December 2025
The
Mexico Ministry of Health recently reported a
measles-related fatality in Jalisco state, the first fatality in that state. This is the 24th death reported in 2025 in the country. To date, 5,625 cumulative confirmed cases of measles have been reported in 2025 from 29 states and 175 municipalities, since the first case was recorded in the country the last week of January.
Bangladesh: Chikungunya Fever [Update]
15 December 2025
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel notice recently for Bangladesh due to a
chikungunya outbreak. The outbreak particularly affected
Dhaka and
Chittagong. Between January and August 2025, a total of 732 suspected chikungunya cases were reported in Dhaka by the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, with 400 cases laboratory-confirmed. In Chittagong, approximately 2,700 cases were reported by the end of August.
Mali: Meningitis
15 December 2025
The
Mali Ministry of Health reported 11 new cases (2 confirmed; 9 suspected) and no new deaths of
bacterial meningitis from six regions since November 21. This is a 5.5% increase in the number of cases in the last four weeks.
USA: Measles [Update]
15 December 2025
South Carolina health authorities reported today, 15 new cases of
measles in the state since Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases in South Carolina related to the Upstate outbreak to 126.
Mauritania: Rift Valley Fever [Update]
15 December 2025
In
Mauritania this year, a total of 286 (53 confirmed; 233 suspected) and 15 deaths (CFR: 5.24%) of
Rift Valley Fever have been reported from 14 of 15 regions in Mauritania, according to data published by the Africa CDC published December 3.
Somalia: Diphtheria [Update]
15 December 2025
The
Somalia Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has reported a
diphtheria outbreak in the country in recent weeks. According to the Ministry, more than 1,000 children have been infected in this outbreak, and at least 50 deaths have been recorded.
United Kingdom: Influenza
15 December 2025
In the
United Kingdom,
flu hospital admissions surged by over half in one week, NHS England announced yesterday. On average, 2,660 patients were hospitalized with flu each day last week, a record for this time of year and up 55% over the previous week.“NHS chiefs have warned the total has already increased sharply since the week covered by the data, with no peak in sight,” NHS said on its website.
(Source: CIDRAP 13 December 2025)
Chinese Mainland: Influenza
15 December 2025
In week 49, China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that influenza-like illness cases made up 9.9% of all outpatient and emergency visits at sentinel hospitals nationwide. Respiratory samples from these Influenza-like illness cases most often tested positive for
influenza viruses, with a detection rate of 54.2%.
Panama: Dengue Fever [Update]
11 December 2025
Panama has reported 14,905 cumulative
dengue cases in 2025, with 25 deaths and 1,453 requiring hospitalization, prompting officials to call for joint community efforts in mosquito control and early symptom identification.
Israel: Measles [Update]
11 December 2025
Israel reported its 12th
measles death, an unvaccinated 11-month-old infant who died at Rambam Hospital in Haifa after being transferred from North Medical Center in Tiberias, with most deaths occurring in healthy unvaccinated infants.
USA: Measles [Update]
11 December 2025
South Carolina reported 27 new
measles cases over the weekend, bringing the Spartanburg County outbreak total to 111 cases, with 16 new cases linked to the Way of Truth Church in Inman and additional exposures at Inman Intermediate School.
Argentina: Hantavirus Infection
11 December 2025
Argentina has confirmed 23
hantavirus cases nationwide during the 2025-2026 period, with 70% in the Central region and highest incidence in Entre Ríos province (0.41 per 100,000), and a 39% case fatality rate.
Canada: Measles [Update]
11 December 2025
Quebec reported a new
measles case in the Laurentians region outside Montreal, marking the first case since March, with exposure at Centre d’urgences pédiatriques Saint-Eustache on November 28, bringing Quebec’s 2025 total to 37 cases.