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
Sri Lanka: Dengue Fever [Update]
21 May 2026
Health officials in Sri Lanka report additional dengue fever cases in the country. In a follow-up on a report last week, the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) reports 29,589
dengue infections as of May 18.
Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda: Ebola Disease [Update]
21 May 2026
In a follow-up on the
Ebola disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports a total of 528 suspected cases, including 132 deaths have been reported from both countries. As of 18 May 2026, the DRC has reported 516 suspected cases, including 131 deaths from seven health zones across Ituri and North Kivu Provinces. Of these, 33 cases with four deaths have so far been confirmed from Rwampara (19), Bunia (6), Nyankunde (4), and Mongbwalu (1) HZsin Ituri Province, and Butembo (1), Goma (1), and Katwa (1) in North Kivu Province. Of the 12 suspected cases reported from Uganda, two were confirmed through laboratory testing, while the rest tested negative.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), acting on the recommendations of its Emergency Consultative Group (ECG), has officially declared the ongoing outbreak of Bundibugyo strain Ebola virus disease affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a Continental Security Public Health Emergency (USPSC).
The Minister of Communication and Media for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ministry of Health, Patrick Muyaya, announced the Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak has spread outside of Ituri province: Katwa in Butembo and Goma in North Kivu, according to local media reports.
Iraq: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever [Update]
21 May 2026
Health authorities in Iraq report the fifth confirmed human
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever case in a man in his sixties working as a butcher in Mandali district, eastern Diyala province. In 2026, 15 infections have been recorded since the start of 2026, including nine in Dhi Qar, five in Diyala, and one in Kirkuk.
The Nineveh provincial health directorate reported the first case of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever this year.
Mauritius: Chikungunya Fever
21 May 2026
Last week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel notice for the island country on Mauritius due to a
chikungunya outbreak. According to data from the Ministry of Health & Wellness media updates (the main newspapers of the island as brief interviews with the Health Director in charge of infectious diseases), 2,816 confirmed local cases have been reported from January to 11 May and transmission is particularly concentrated in the lower and middle Plaines Wilhems district of the island.
Australia: Diphtheria [Update]
21 May 2026
As of 11 May 2026, a total of 194
diphtheria infections have been notified in Australia in 2026, including 2 probable cases, according to the Australian Centre for Disease Control.