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: Vibrio vulnificus infection [Update]
2 October 2026
The
Louisiana Department of Health reports 19 total
Vibrio vulnificus infection cases as of September 30, in which 17 cases are due to wound/seawater exposure and the other two are classified as other. In addition, seven deaths have been reported.
The
Florida Department of Health reports two additional Vibrio vulnificus cases in the past week from Citrus and Clay counties. No deaths were reported. The total cases and deaths to date are 25 and 5, respectively.
(Source: Outbreak News Today 2 October 2026 – Link 1 & Link 2)
France: Chikungunya Fever, West Nile Virus Infection [Update]
2 October 2026
According to Public Health
France, as of September 28, 2026, six new autochthonous
chikungunya fever cases were reported during the past week. This brings the total local transmission cases of chikungunya to 125.
Concerning
West Nile virus infection, 28 additional cases were reported in the past week, bringing the total to 145 autochthonous cases.
Hong Kong: Hepatitis E [Update]
2 October 2026
In a follow-up on a post last week, The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health,
Hong Kong, report investigating a second case of human infection of rat
Hepatitis E virus. An 80-year-old female, a family member of a 91-year-old man from last week, lives in the same Residential Care Home for the Elderly in Kowloon City District. Since the two also share a similar exposure history, the CHP prudently arranged for her to undergo a blood test. Upon laboratory testing by the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch under the CHP, her blood sample tested positive for rat HEV.
USA: Cryptosporidiosis [Update]
2 October 2026
King County Public Health,
USA, reports the following on an investigation into a
cryptosporidiosis outbreak in Bothell, WA, a part of the Seattle metropolitan area. Fourteen people reported becoming sick after swimming in the McMenamins pool in Bothell on August 29 or August 30, 2026. They reported symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever.
Philippines: Dengue Fever [Update]
2 October 2026
On September 29, 2026, the Provincial Health Office of Agusan del Sur, the
Philippines, officially declared a Province-Wide
Dengue Fever Outbreak due to the increasing number of dengue cases, hospitalizations, severe cases, and reported deaths in the province. Officials reported 674 in just over seven months, with a surge of cases reported since August.
USA: West Nile Virus Infection [Update]
2 October 2026
In 2026 to date, the
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has documented 135
West Nile Virus infections and five deaths. In all of 2025, 22 cases and two deaths were reported in the county. The number of persons infected in the 2026 season is greater than the 5-year average during the same period of time.
Philippines: Dengue Fever [Update]
2 October 2026
The Province of Albay, in the Bicol Region of the
Philippines, on the southeastern part of the island of Luzon, reported 14
dengue fever deaths between April and August this year, a significant increase compared with 3 deaths reported in 2025.
On September 10, 2026, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng Albay approved the declaration of a State of Calamity due to the increasing number of dengue cases (1,785) in the province of Albay. Nationally, 161,925 dengue cases were reported to date in 2026, a 31% decrease from 233,155 cases reported in the same period last year.
Italy: West Nile Virus Infection [Update]
2 October 2026
In
Italy, since the start of surveillance up to September 23, 2026, 700 confirmed cases of human
West Nile Virus infection have been reported, up 43 cases from the week prior. Of these, 368 presented as the neuro-invasive form (including 5 imported cases: 1 from the Maldives, 1 from France, 1 from Belgium, 1 from Greece, and 1 from the Netherlands), 88 were asymptomatic cases identified in blood donors, 239 were cases of fever (1 imported case from Burkina Faso), 4 presented with other symptoms, and 1 was an asymptomatic case.
Pakistan: Poliomyelitis [Update]
2 October 2026
Pakistan health authorities report the confirmation of an additional wild
poliomyelitis case in Bannu Division, in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The affected child is a 17-month-old girl from Khandar Khankhel Union Council in Tehsil Domel of Bannu District. This is the fifth polio case of 2026 for Pakistan.
Sri Lanka: Dengue Fever [Update]
2 October 2026
As of September 27,
Sri Lanka health officials report 100,127
dengue fever cases since the beginning of the year. The cases have been dropping since the peak this July, when nearly 30,000 cases were reported. In September so far, approximately 4600 cases have been reported. 77 deaths have been reported. Gampaha and Colombo districts account for 40% of the cases.
Cambodia: Avian Influenza [Update]
2 October 2026
Cambodia health authorities report a confirmed case of
avian influenza (H5N1) in a 49-year-old man from Tuol Kruos Village, O'Svay Commune, Trapeang Prasat District, Oddar Meanchey Province on September 27. This is the sixth confirmed H5N1 avian influenza case reported in Cambodia in 2026.
USA: Measles [Update]
2 October 2026
Delaware health officials report a
measles outbreak in the state. 23 confirmed cases have been reported, all from Kent County. These are the first positive measles cases in more than a decade.
Pennsylvania state health officials report 13 additional confirmed measles cases since Friday, bringing the total in the state to 903. Counties reporting the most cases include Lancaster County (363), Mifflin (106) and Chester (83).