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
Philippines: Dengue fever [Update]
10 August 2026
On August 4, the City Government of Zamboanga,
Philippines, officially announced that the city is now experiencing a
dengue fever epidemic, following a press conference at the City Hall Conference Room.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Cholera [Update]
10 August 2026
According to provincial health authorities in Kwilu province, in western
Democratic Republic of the Congo, 419 cases of
cholera, including 30 deaths, have been recorded since the beginning of June in four health zones.
USA: Vibrio Vulnificus Infection [Update]
10 August 2026
Louisiana,
USA, state health officials are reporting nine cases of
Vibrio vulnificus infection so far in 2026, with all nine requiring hospitalization, including five deaths, prompting officials to urge residents to take precautions to prevent infection from the bacterium found naturally in warm coastal waters. All nine cases reported this year were associated with wounds exposed to seawater, and all patients had underlying health conditions.
Taiwan: Typhoid Fever
10 August 2026
The
Taiwan Centers for Disease Control recently announced the first confirmed case of locally acquired
typhoid fever in Taiwan this year. The patient is a woman in her 70s from central Taiwan with a history of chronic illness and no recent domestic or international travel history.
Uganda: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever
10 August 2026
Health officials in Yumbe district in northern
Uganda report two confirmed cases of
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). The two cases include an 18-year-old from Ariwa sub-county and a fatal case in a nine-year-old boy from Lodonga sub-county. Sporadic CCHF outbreaks are reported in Uganda annually.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Disease [Update]
10 August 2026
According to the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, 4,053 confirmed
Ebola Disease cases across 53 health zones in five provinces have been reported as of August 5, 2026. The two newly affected zones are: Gombari (Haut-Uélé) and Bafwasende (Tshopo). Ituri remains the primary epicenter, accounting for 86.9% of cumulative cases. Other key numbers include 1,850 deaths (45.7% fatality rate), 793 recoveries, 694 patients in isolation or hospitalized, and contact tracing progress at 77.7%, supported by 1,158 alerts investigated in 24 hours.
Costa Rica: Chikungunya Fever [Update]
10 August 2026
Health officials in
Costa Rica reported their first confirmed
chikungunya fever case since 2016 in a 24-year-old Costa Rican man, a resident of Esparza, Puntarenas, in late January. Since that time, the country has recorded a total of 82 cases, including 48 confirmed. This compares to 8 total cases and no confirmed cases in all of 2025.
USA: Tularemia
10 August 2026
The Suffolk County Department of Health Services,
New York, reports investigating four cases of
tularemia, according to local media. Suffolk logged six cases in 2025, four in 2024, and three in 2023.
Israel: West Nile Virus Infection [Update]
10 August 2026
In a follow-up on a report last week, the
Israel Ministry of Health reports on a person who died after contracting
West Nile virus infection. The deceased is a 70-year-old man who developed symptoms in mid-July and died after being hospitalized due to complications of the disease.
Greece: West Nile Virus Infection
10 August 2026
Since the beginning of the year and through August 5, 2026, a total of sixty-five (65) domestic cases of
West Nile virus infection have been diagnosed in
Greece, of which fifty-four (54) cases presented central nervous system according to an epidemiological report from the National Public Health Organisation.
USA: Measles [Update]
10 August 2026
Los Angeles County health officials report investigating a
measles case involving a person who was infectious while visiting at least one public location in Los Angeles County - Universal Studios Hollywood - on Sunday, July 26, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., prompting officials to warn the public of potential exposure to measles. People who were at Universal Studios Hollywood during the date and time listed above may be at risk of developing measles from 7 to 21 days after being exposed. These individuals should confirm their protection against measles.
South Korea: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease [Update]
6 August 2026
The
Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported that the proportion of suspected
hand, foot and mouth disease cases has increased approximately 33-fold over the past 12 weeks based on the results of sample surveillance conducted on 93 clinics nationwide.
Italy: West Nile Virus Infection
6 August 2026
In
Italy, from February through July 28, 84 cases of
West Nile virus infection in humans have been confirmed in Italy, with two deaths.
USA: Cyclosporiasis [Update]
6 August 2026
In an update on the
cyclospora outbreak in
North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services now reports 867 cases since May 1 and through August 4. 494 cases were reported in
Wake County.
USA: Dengue Fever [Update]
6 August 2026
Virginia state health officials, along with the
Fairfax County and Loudoun County Health Departments, report investigating a confirmed case of
dengue virus infection in a resident who did not have known travel outside of Virginia prior to illness onset. This is the first documented case of locally acquired dengue in Virginia.
USA: Dengue Fever [Update]
6 August 2026
For the third time this week, the
Florida Department of Health reported an additional confirmed locally acquired
dengue fever, this one in
Hillsborough County, on Florida’s west-central coast. This brings the total locally acquired cases this year to four from three counties-
Hillsborough (2), Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties. During the past week, officials reported two additional travel associated dengue cases, bringing the total to 51.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Disease [Update]
6 August 2026
Health officials with the
Democratic Republic of the Congo report 72 new confirmed
Ebola Disease cases and 44 additional confirmed deaths, bringing the total cases and deaths through August 3 to 3,874 cases and 1,751 deaths for a 45.1% case fatality rate.
Switzerland: Legionnaires’ Disease
6 August 2026
There is currently an unusual cluster of cases of illness caused by
Legionella bacteria in the
Canton of Basel-Stadt. More than 20 people have required or are currently requiring hospital treatment.
Taiwan: Japanese Encephalitis [Update]
6 August 2026
The
Taiwan Centers for Disease Control announced two new cases of
Japanese encephalitis in Taiwan on July 28. According to the CDC data, there have been 10 confirmed cases of Japanese encephalitis in Taiwan this year, including one death. The cases are distributed as follows:
6 in Taoyuan City, and 1 each in Changhua County, Yunlin County, Chiayi County, and Hualien County.
Thailand: Leptospirosis, Melioidosis
6 August 2026
In
Thailand, Department of Disease Control issued a health warning as deaths from
leptospirosis and
melioidosis stand at 107 since the beginning of 2026. Authorities recorded 2,190 cases of leptospirosis between 1 January and 21 July 2026. The outbreak resulted in 30 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 1.37 per cent.