Travel Health Service Year 2026

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

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Disease [Update]

21 September 2026

A total of 73 new confirmed cases of Ebola disease were reported on September 18, 2026, including 25 community deaths. Of these confirmed cases, 46 were from Ituri province, 18 from North Kivu, 6 from Haut-Uélé, and 3 from Tshopo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). A new health zone, Dungu, in Haut-Uélé province, was affected during the day. As this zone borders South Sudan, strengthening cross-border surveillance is necessary.

Since the start of the epidemic in the DRC, a cumulative total of 7,614 confirmed cases, including 3,676 deaths, has been recorded, representing a case fatality rate of 48.3%. The epicenter remains Ituri province, which accounts for 77.2% of the confirmed cases reported across the seven affected provinces and also accounts for 63.0% of the new confirmed cases. A new health zone was affected on September 18, 2026. Consequently, 63 out of 167 health zones (37.7%) across 7 provinces are affected.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 21 September 2026)

Iran: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever

21 September 2026

Last week, health officials in Yazd province, located in the center of Iran reported seven confirmed cases of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) and one death attributed to the disease since 21 Mar 2026, according to Iranian media. Last year, 27 suspected cases of CCHF were identified in the province, and of these, 9 were confirmed to be infected with the disease. This year, 17 suspected cases of the disease have been investigated and samples have been taken, and seven people have been confirmed to be infected.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 21 September 2026)

USA: Legionnaires’ disease [Update]

21 September 2026

The New York City Health Department reports investigating a likely community cluster of Legionnaires' disease in parts of Melrose and Morrisania in the South Bronx. Currently, 19 people have tested positive for Legionnaires’ disease and two deaths were reported.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 21 September 2026)

USA: Measles [Update]

21 September 2026

The Pennsylvania Department of Health today announced that 767 measles cases have been confirmed across 38 counties in Pennsylvania so far in 2026 as of September 18. Pennsylvania leads the nation in measles this year, followed by South Carolina (671), Utah (519), Texas (192), Virginia (179) and Ohio (178).

Ohio has confirmed 180 measles cases across multiple counties in 2026, according to the Ohio Department of Health. This includes 27 cases reported in the first half of September.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 20 September 2026 – Link 1 & Link 2)

Costa Rica: Chikungunya Fever [Update]

21 September 2026

The Costa Rica Ministry of Health reports a chikungunya fever outbreak in different sectors of the Pavas district in San José. To date, 22 people have been tested in laboratory tests conducted by the Costa Rican Institute for Research and Teaching in Nutrition and Health. Of these, 12 cases were confirmed, three remain probable, three are pending, and four were ruled out. All of these cases are linked to the outbreak identified in the community.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 20 September 2026)

Colombia: Yellow Fever [Update]

21 September 2026

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued today a Level 2 - Practice Enhanced Precautions travel notice for Colombia due to increasing numbers of yellow fever. Most cases are being reported in Tolima, which includes new areas that border areas where vaccination has historically been recommended. Travelers to these newly affected areas are now recommended to get vaccinated.

According to data from the Colombia Instituto Nacional de Salud, in 2026, as of September 8 (preliminary data), 1,183 probable yellow fever cases and 58 laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported, with symptom onset dates ranging from January 4 to August 8, 2026. 95.0% of the cases originated in Tolima, 3.44% in Cundinamarca, and 1.56% in Meta.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 19 September 2026)

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Mpox [Update]

21 September 2026

In an official statement released on September 16, 2026, Governor of the Democratic Republic of the Congo confirmed the Mpox virus is circulating in the province. A total of five health zones are already affected, including the Kanzala health zone, which covers a large part of Tshikapa, the provincial capital. This announcement formalizes the warnings that had been mounting since the beginning of September. In Luebo, in particular, health authorities had reported more than 30 suspected cases and four deaths in the Mukuandianga and Kambangoma health zones. In Tshikapa itself, three members of the same family had been reported as suspected cases in the Kanzala area.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 18 September 2026)

USA: Dengue Fever [Update]

21 September 2026

The Florida Department of Health reported an additional 41 locally acquired dengue fever cases during the past week, bringing the total in the state to 152. Of the 41 new cases, 39 of the cases are reported from Hillsborough County, while the other cases were reported from neighboring Pinellas County (2).

(Source: Outbreak News Today 18 September 2026)

Germany: Malaria

18 September 2026

A third person has died from malaria around Frankfurt Airport in what German officials have described as an extremely ‌rare air-traffic-related outbreak of the tropical disease.

In a statement on Thursday, the city of Frankfurt said one of two infected residents of the Schwanheim district north of the airport had died ⁠in the care of the city's university hospital.

(Source: Reuters 17 September 2026)

Italy: Dengue Fever [Update]

17 September 2026

From January 1 to September 8, 2026, the ISS national surveillance system in Italy recorded 265 confirmed cases of dengue: 24 of these were autochthonous, while all the other cases were associated with travel abroad.