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
Israel: Tuberculosis
30 March 2026
The
Israel Ministry of Health and the Sheba Medical Center in
Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv District, report that a patient diagnosed with
pulmonary tuberculosis was hospitalized in the underground hospitalization complex in the surgical area located under the gynecology and obstetrics wing at Sheba Hospital between March 17-22, 2026.
United Kingdom: Bacillary Dysentery
30 March 2026
The UK Health Security Agency continues to report increases of sexually transmitted
Shigella cases in 2025, according to newly published data. Diagnoses of
S. flexneri and
S. sonnei that were potentially acquired during sexual contact have increased in recent years- a rise from 2,052 in 2023 and 2,318 in 2024 to 2,560 last year.
Philippines: Measles [Update]
30 March 2026
Measles cases in
Quezon City have reached 116 from January 1 to March 26 this year. Children aged 10 and younger are most affected (90 cases or 78%).
Philippines: Dengue Fever [Update]
30 March 2026
Quezon City has recorded 1,716 cases of
dengue from January 1 to March 19, 2026. It is 60% less than the number of dengue cases citywide during the same period in 2025.
Philippines: Leptospirosis
30 March 2026
The
Quezon City Epidemiology and Surveillance Division reports 31 cases of
leptospirosis from January 1 to March 26, 2026. This compares to 18 cases reported in
Quezon City during the same period in 2025. 19 of the cases or 61% are 31 years old and older. Leptospirosis affects men the most (26 cases). Four deaths related to leptospirosis have also been recorded.
Mexico: Measles [Update]
30 March 2026
Mexican health authorities report eclipsing the 8,000
measles case mark within the first three months of 2026. From January 1 to March 25, the Ministry of Health reports 8,021 confirmed cases and eight fatalities.
Australia: Diphtheria
30 March 2026
The
Northern Territory Centre for Disease Control reported investigating an outbreak of
diphtheria. As of Wednesday, there have been four cases of respiratory diphtheria (3 in
Darwin, 1 in
Alice Springs) notified in the last week and 33 cases of cutaneous diphtheria notified since 2025.
Italy: Avian Influenza
26 March 2026
The
Italy Ministry of Health reports that the Lombardy Region has identified a case of infection with the low-pathogenicity
avian influenza A(H9N2) virus of animal origin, in an individual with concomitant illnesses, who came from a non-European country (imported) where he contracted the infection, and is currently hospitalized. This is the first human case of H9N2 avian influenza detected in Europe.
Latvia: Measles
26 March 2026
Latvia reports first
measles outbreak since 2018. As of March 17, five measles cases have been registered in Latvia Two schoolchildren and one adult have been laboratory-confirmed to have measles, and two more schoolchildren are suspected of having the disease.
Peru: Leptospirosis [Update]
26 March 2026
According to the Ministry of Health (Minsa),
Peru, 1,045 cases of
leptospirosis have been reported so far this year, distributed across 23 departments and Callao. Of these, 39% are confirmed cases and 61% are probable cases, with a cumulative incidence of 3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
United Kingdom: Cryptosporidiosis
26 March 2026
Officials with Public Health
Wales are advising the public not to pick up, cuddle, or handle lambs during Easter and petting zoo attractions due to the risk of
cryptosporidium. Last year, around 80 cases of cryptosporidium were recorded at one farm in South Wales alone.
American Samoa: Leptospirosis
26 March 2026
Health officials in
American Samoa issued a public health advisory last week due to an increase in
leptospirosis cases this year. There has been six confirmed cases reported since January, including five cases identified in March.
USA: Mpox [Update]
26 March 2026
Missouri state health officials report two cases of clade I
mpox in adult Missouri residents. These are the first known clade I mpox cases in Missouri and the thirteenth and fourteenth cases nationally.
Suriname: Chikungunya Fever [Update]
26 March 2026
In a follow-up on the
chikungunya fever outbreak that was declared in
Suriname in January, the Ministry of Health has confirmed a significant increase in the cases of chikungunya virus. Over 1,357 individuals have tested positive, confirming local transmission and one confirmed death and another being investigated.