Current Travel Health News

WHO reported that, as of 6 July 2011, 3 032 cases of Enterohemorrhagic E. coli infection and 909 cases of haemolytic uraemic syndrome, a total of 3 941 cases have been reported in 16 countries. There were 3 804 cases reported in Germany alone, with 50 deaths. However, the number of reported cases has declined significantly since week 23 (June 6 -12, 2011). The majority of these cases had recently visited northern Germany. German authorities stated that mounting epidemiological and food-chain evidence indicated that bean and seed sprouts are the vehicle of the outbreak in Germany. The authorities now recommend that people in Germany should not eat raw bean and seed sprouts of any origin.

WHO recommends normal hygiene measures should be observed, hand washing after toilet use and before touching food. (Please refer to the websites of Travel Health Service and Centre for Health Protection for information on hygiene measures and hand washing respectively.) Anyone who has developed bloody diarrhoea and abdominal pain, and who has had contact recently with Germany, should seek medical advice urgently.

For updated information, please refer to website of WHO.

(Source: World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe 7 July 2011)

For more information, please visit the World Health Organization webpage.

Cambodia has reported that since early 2011, as many as 1 793 severe cases of hemorrhagic Dengue Fever have been treated in hospital, and 11 of them have died.

(Source: ProMED-mail 5 July 2011)

Since 1 January 2008, nearly 20 000 cases of Measles have been reported throughout metropolitan France. The third epidemic peaked in March 2011 (more than 3 600 cases), followed by a slight decrease in April 2011 (more than 3 100 cases). So far in 2011, there have been 14 cases with neurological complications, 444 cases with severe pneumonia, and 6 deaths.

(Source: ProMED-mail 4 July 2011)

In the UK, confirmed cases of Measles in England have nearly doubled this year. Laboratory experts have identified 24 cases in the region since 1 January 2011, compared with 13 during the same period last year.

Scotland reported that in the first 24 weeks of 2011, they received 54 reports of suspected Measles and 22 laboratory-confirmed cases. In the same period in 2010, there were 38 reports of suspected measles.

(Source: ProMED-mail 4 July 2011)

Pakistan has reported a case of Poliomyelitis caused by wild poliovirus type 3 (WPV3). The case was a 16-month-old child from an inaccessible area of Khyber Agency with onset of paralysis on 9 June 2011. This was the only case of WPV3 detected in Asia in 2011. WPV3 transmission in Asia is on the verge of elimination, with the last case occurring more than six months ago.

(Source: World Health Organization 7 July 2011)

In India, cases of Cholera or diarrhoea have been reported in different regions, including Mumbai (2), Punjab (46), Kerala (1) and Kerala (114), among them 8 cases were fatal.

(Source: ProMED-mail 4 July 2011)

In India, the number of cases of Japanese Encephalitis in the high-risk districts of Uttar Pradesh has shot up with the arrival of the monsoon. The state has already seen 79 more cases and 10 more deaths till 5 July 2011, as compared to last year. The worst affected districts are Gorakhpur with 111 cases and 21 deaths so far, closely followed by Deoria (109 cases and 15 deaths), and Kushinagar (103 cases and 22 deaths).

(Source: ProMED-mail 7 July 2011)

As widespread violent clashes occurred in many cities across Syria, including Daraa, Latakia, Damascus, Baniyas, Aleppo, Homs and Hama, resulting in serious casualties, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has raised the Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) for Syria to Black. Residents are urged to avoid all travel to the country. Those already there should attend to their personal safety and avoid protests and large gatherings of people.

For more information, please visit the OTA webpage.

(Source: Security Bureau, Government of Hong Kong SAR 26 April 2011)

Following the hostage taking incident in the Philippines which had caused casualties, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has raised the Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) for the Philippines to Black. Hong Kong residents are urged to avoid all travel to the Philippines. Those already there should attend to their personal safety and stay alert.

For more information, please visit the OTA webpage.

(Source: Security Bureau, Government of Hong Kong SAR 20 September 2010)