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
Uganda: Ebola [Update]
3 March 2025
Following the declaration of the Sudan
Ebola outbreak on 30th January 2025, the Ministry of Health of
Uganda reports an additional positive case in Mulago hospital of a four-and-a-half-year-old child, who tragically passed away on 25th February. The fatality brings the number of confirmed cases in Uganda to 10 and two deaths.
Tonga: Dengue Fever [Update]
3 March 2025
In a follow-up on the
Tonga dengue outbreak declared on February 19, government officials now report 88 cases through March 2.
Philippines: Dengue Fever [Update]
3 March 2025
The
Negros Occidental Provincial Health Office reports that through February 22, 1,012 cases of
dengue fever have been reported in the province, up 422 percent from the 194 cases reported during the same period in 2024. In addition, six deaths have been reported.
South Africa and Democratic Republic Of The Congo: Mpox (monkeypox)
3 March 2025
South Africa health authorities have reported the first three Mpox cases of 2025 from Ekurhuleni. This increases the total cumulative number of positive cases from 25 to 28 cases, including three deaths since the outbreak in May last year.
According to the report of the Ministry of Health of South Kivu, there are 17 Mpox patients, including 10 confirmed positive and 7 awaiting results interned in the Miti-Murhesa health zone.
Mexico: Pertussis
3 March 2025
The
Mexican Ministry of Health issued an epidemiological alert due to the notable increase in cases of
pertussis, or whooping cough, in the country. Through February 15, 120 cases have been confirmed, representing an incidence of 0.08 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, distributed across 21 states in the country.
Pakistan: Poliomyelitis [Update]
3 March 2025
Pakistani officials confirmed the sixth wild
poliovirus (WPV1) case of 2025. The case is from District Thatta, Sindh province, the fourth case reported from the province this year.
USA: Tetanus
3 March 2025
The
Minnesota Department of Health reported a case of
tetanus in an unvaccinated child under 10 years of age in 2024.
Vietnam: Measles
3 March 2025
In 2024,
Vietnam reported 45,554 suspected
measles cases, including 7,583 confirmed infections and 16 deaths linked to the disease. The World Health Organisation has assessed the risk of a measles outbreak in Vietnam as very high.
Global: Measles
3 March 2025
Because measles is so contagious, it can easily cross borders. In 2023, an estimated 10.3 million people were infected with measles. Right now, measles outbreaks are happening in every region of the world. Anyone who is not protected against measles can get measles while abroad and easily spread it to others when they return home.
The top 10 countries with measles outbreaks are as follows:
|
Country
|
Number of Cases
|
|
Pakistan
|
7,148
|
|
Thailand
|
6,852
|
|
India
|
6,203
|
|
Yemen
|
5,000
|
|
Ethiopia
|
4,724
|
|
Afghanistan
|
3,999
|
|
Indonesia
|
2,873
|
|
Russian Federation
|
2,090
|
|
Kyrgyzstan
|
1,890
|
|
VietNam
|
1,837
|
(This table is based on provisional monthly surveillance data reported to the World Health Organization (Geneva) as of February 2025. The data reflected covers July 2024 - December 2024.)
(Source: CDC February 2025)
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Suspected Malaria
28 February 2025
In ongoing unexplained febrile illness clusters in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, the number of illnesses continues to grow, and though tests continue to rule out Ebola and Marburg viruses, many patients have tested positive for
Malaria.
(Source: CIDRAP 28 February 2025)
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Unknown Disease
27 February 2025
An unknown illness first discovered in three children who ate a bat has rapidly killed more than 50 people in northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo over the past five weeks. Known deadly viruses, such as Ebola, dengue, Marburg and yellow fever, have been ruled out based on tests of more than a dozen samples collected so far.
(Source: SCMP 26 February 2025)
Testing in two unexplained illness clusters in Equateur Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has ruled out Ebola and Marburg viruses, and further testing and investigations are under way. The newest cluster is centered in Basankusu Health Zone and was reported to provincial officials on February 9.
(Source: CIDRAP 21 February 2025)
Reunion: Chikungunya Fever [Update]
27 February 2025
Reunion reported 695 new indigenous
Chikungunya cases in the past week, which brings the outbreak total to 1,773 locally acquired cases since August last year and 1,631 cases since the start of the year. 13 hospitalizations have been recorded.
Tonga: Dengue Fever [Update]
27 February 2025
In a follow-up on the
Dengue fever outbreak in
Tonga, the government now reports 73 total cases. No dengue-related death reported to date.
Argentina: Measles
27 February 2025
On February 1, 2025, the Ministry of Health of the Nation issued an epidemiological alert due to the confirmation of a case of
Measles in a six-year-old girl with residence in commune 14 of the Autonomous City of
Buenos Aires.
USA: Measles [Update]
27 February 2025
In a follow-up on the
Measles outbreak in
West Texas, state health officials report the first death from measles in the ongoing outbreak in the South Plains and Panhandle regions.
Cambodia: Avian Influenza
27 February 2025
The Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of
Cambodia would like to inform the public that one case of bird was born in a boy aged 2 years and 7 months and was confirmed positive for
H5N1 virus from the National Institute of Public Health on February 25, 2025.
Brazil: Oropouche Fever [Update]
25 February 2025
The
Brazil Ministry of Health has reported 5,514 confirmed
Oropouche cases through February 25.
Sierra Leone: Lassa Fever
27 February 2025
In the past week, the
Sierra Leone Ministry of Health reported 38 new
Lassa fever cases (6 confirmed, 32 suspected), including four deaths from two counties.
South Africa: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
25 February 2025
Afghanistan: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever [Update]
25 February 2025
From January 1, 2024 through the end of the year, a total of 1,221 suspected cases of
Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever with 95 associated deaths were reported in
Afghanistan.
Zambia: Cholera [Update]
25 February 2025
The Ministry of Health in
Zambia, in south central Africa, reported through February 18, 2025, 278 total cases of
cholera and nine deaths from 12 districts in six provinces the country, with the most being reported from Chililabombwe (214).
Pakistan and Afghanistan: Poliomyelitis [Update]
25 February 2025
Pakistan officials confirmed the detection of the third wild poliovirus type 1 case of 2025 today in an individual from District Larkana, Sindh.
In Afghanistan Badghis, the first wild poliovirus type 1 case is reported this week. It is the first case from the country in 2025.
Yemen: Schistosomiasis
25 February 2025
Sources working in the health sector under the control of the Houthi group in
Yemen revealed the emergence of reports of about 30,000 new cases of
schistosomiasis during the past 10 weeks.
USA: Hantavirus [Update]
25 February 2025
Officials with the Whitman County Public Health, in eastern
Washington state, are reporting a death from
hantavirus in a resident. This is the first confirmed case of Hantavirus in Whitman County and the first reported case in Washington State this year.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Cholera [Update]
25 February 2025
Since the beginning of 2025, 1,505 cases of
cholera have been recorded in
Democratic Republic of the Congo, causing 37 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 2.5%.
Reunion: Chikungunya Fever [Update]
25 February 2025
In a follow-up on the
chikungunya outbreak in
Reunion, 362 new locally acquired chikungunya cases were reported, bringing the total to 1,069 indigenous cases recorded since August 2024, including 927 since the start of the 2025.
Portugal: Dengue Fever [Update]
25 February 2025
The Regional Health Directorate and the Regional Health Authority report on February 18, 2025, two autochthonous cases of
dengue that were laboratory confirmed in the
Autonomous Region of Madeira.
Tonga: Dengue Fever
25 February 2025
On the Polynesian island of
Tonga, the Ministry of Health declared an outbreak of
dengue fever on Wednesday after 42 new cases were reported with positive rapid test, bringing the total cases to 52.
USA: Measles [Update]
25 February 2025
In a follow-up on the
measles outbreaks in West Texas and bordering Lea County, New Mexico, it is reported that a total of 99 cases have been reported in the area as of February 21.