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
USA: Measles [Update]
29 October 2026
Kentucky health officials have reported 199 confirmed
measles cases including 10 hospitalizations. 197 of the cases were unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status. 106 cases were reported in children under the age of 18, while 93 cases were 18+.
Christian County has reported the most cases with 65, followed by
Laurel County (56) and
Trigg County (31).
Georgia state health officials report three additional confirmed measles cases in
Macon County. These three cases bring Georgia's total to 25 confirmed measles cases in 2026, compared to 10 cases in all of 2025.
Greece: West Nile Virus Infection [Update]
29 October 2026
In
Greece, from the beginning of the year through October 22, the Hellenic National Public Health Organization reported a total of four hundred and fifty-three (453) locally acquired cases of
West Nile virus infection. In total, during 2026—up to October 22—fifty-one (51) deaths have been recorded among patients infected with the virus who were over 35 years of age.
USA: West Nile Virus Infection [Update]
29 October 2026
The
Florida Department of Health in
Sarasota County reported a confirmed human case of locally-acquired
West Nile Virus (WNV) illness. This is the sixth human WNV case in Florida to date- Alachua, Duval, Holmes, and Walton counties account for the others.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Disease [Update]
29 October 2026
The
Democratic Republic of the Congo Ministry of Health reports on October 25, 2026, 96 new confirmed cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD) were reported across three provinces:
North Kivu (58 cases),
Ituri (32 cases), and
Tshopo (6 cases).
Zambia: Cholera
27 October 2026
The country of
Zambia, in
south-cental Africa, declared a
cholera outbreak on July 28, 2026. Since the outbreak declaration, 1,488 total cholera cases, which includes 219 confirmed, have been reported.
Italy: West Nile Virus Infection [Update]
27 October 2026
From January 1 to October 20, 2026, the national surveillance system coordinated by the ISS has recorded: 777 confirmed cases of
West Nile virus infection in humans.
Italy: Chikungunya Fever [Update]
27 October 2026
From January 1 to October 20, 2026, the national surveillance system coordinated by the ISS has recorded: 30 confirmed cases of
chikungunya.
Italy: Dengue Fever [Update]
27 October 2026
From January 1 to October 20, 2026, the national surveillance system coordinated by the ISS has recorded: 363 confirmed cases of
dengue.
Costa Rica: Salmonella
27 October 2026
The Costa Rica Ministry of Health is actively investigating an outbreak of foodborne illness affecting workers at CIMA Hospital, located in Escazú, San José.
Argentina: Naegleria fowleri Infections
27 October 2026
The Ministerio de Salud de
Catamarca reports the death of a 10-year-old boy in the town of
Fiambalá from primary amoebic meningoencephalitis caused by infection with
Naegleria fowleri.
France: West Nile Virus Infection [Update]
27 October 2026
Afghanistan: Poliomyelitis [Update]
27 October 2026
Health officials reported six new wild
poliovirus-1 positive cases in
Afghanistan this past week.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola Disease [Update]
27 October 2026
As of October 23, 2026, 60 new confirmed cases of
Ebola disease have been reported across four provinces:
North Kivu (29 cases),
Ituri (28 cases),
Haut-Uélé (2 cases), and
Tshopo (1 case). Among these, 31 community deaths were recorded (17 in
North Kivu, 13 in
Ituri, and 1 in
Haut-Uélé).
USA: Measles [Update]
27 October 2026
Since mid-September and through October 22, there have been 26 cases of
measles confirmed in two unrelated clusters in different parts of the
Minnesota state (6 in
Fillmore County and 20 in
Todd County).
The
Pennsylvania Department of Health announced that 1,338
measles cases have been confirmed across 44 counties in
Pennsylvania so far in 2026.
Wisconsin health officials report today that the number of
measles cases have risen to 310 to date in 2026.
Costa Rica: Syphilis
27 October 2026
As of epidemiological week 39 of 2026,
Costa Rica has recorded 2,878 cases of
syphilis, compared to the 2,410 cases reported during the same period in 2025. This represents an increase of 468 cases, equivalent to 19.42%.
France: Shamonda Virus Infection
27 October 2026
French authorities announced the first ever reported human infection with
Shamonda virus (SHAV), a disease that has until now only affected animals.
USA: Dengue Fever [Update]
27 October 2026
State health officials report 57 additional locally acquired
dengue fever cases during the week ending October 17, bringing the state total to 425.