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
Mexico: Measles [Update]
9 March 2026
In a follow-up on the
measles outbreak raging through
Mexico, the case tally has surpassed the 6,000 mark on Friday with a total of 6,104 confirmed cases since the beginning of the year. In fact, the number of confirmed cases nearly equals the total for all of 2025 (6,452). The state of
Jalisco has seen 3,604 confirmed cases, by far the most in the country, followed by
Chiapas (540),
Mexico City (424) and
Sinaloa (216). The accumulated confirmed measles cases since the outbreak began 13 months ago has reached 12,566.
Indonesia: Measles [Update]
9 March 2026
As of the eighth week of 2026, 10,453 suspected
measles cases, including six deaths, were recorded. Furthermore, there were 45 measles outbreaks in 29 districts/cities across 11 provinces:
North Sumatra, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, Banten, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta Special Region, East Java, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, and
Central Sulawesi Officials have reported recent declines in measles in February.
Philippines: Rabies
9 March 2026
The
Philippines Department of Health reports that the country has seen a significant decrease in
rabies cases during the first weeks of 2026, as compared to the same period last year. According to the latest rabies data, only 17 cases were reported from Jan. 4 to Feb. 21 this year, down from 49 cases reported during the same period in 2025 (a 65.3% decrease).
Costa Rica: Measles
9 March 2026
The
Costa Rica Ministry of Health confirms a case of
measles diagnosed by the National Virological Reference Center. The case involves a minor female, who is in stable condition and in isolation.
Hong Kong: Measles
9 March 2026
The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health investigates the first locally acquired
measles case this year and reminds members of the public that vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles. The case involves a 32-year-old female who developed a fever, sore throat, cough, red eyes and rash on February 28. She sought medical attention from a private doctor on March 4 and was immediately referred to the Accident and Emergency Department of Princess Margaret Hospital, where she was admitted for treatment. Her clinical specimen was tested positive for the measles virus upon nucleic acid testing.
Pakistan: Poliomyelitis [Update]
9 March 2026
Pakistan health authorities report today on the first
polio case of 2026 in a four-year-old child from
Bello Union Council,
Sujawal district, Sindh. The case was reported through the polio surveillance network and confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad.
St. Lucia: Chikungunya Fever
9 March 2026
The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Nutrition informs the public of a confirmed case of
Chikungunya fever in
Saint Lucia. This represents the first laboratory-confirmed chikungunya case reported in Saint Lucia since 2021.
Mexico: Rickettsial Disease [Update]
5 March 2026
Sonora has accumulated seven deaths and 19 confirmed cases of
rickettsiosis in 2026, as of February 21, according to official figures reported by the Director of Epidemiology for the State Health Department.
USA: Measles [Update]
5 March 2026
The
Minnesota Department of Health is reporting 10
measles (Total confirmed or probable) cases to date in 2026. All ten cases lack a travel history, hence, contracted it in the US. In all of 2025, Minnesota saw 26 total measles cases, with seven classified as imported.
Madagascar: Mpox [Update]
5 March 2026
Madagascar reported its first death related to
mpox since the disease was detected in the country last December, according to a report published Monday by the Malagasy Ministry of Public Health. According to the report, as of March 1, there are a total of 457 confirmed cases in the country.