Current Travel Health News

There was an outbreak of Scrub Typhus at Poilwa village, Peren District in India. The investigation team collected 3 samples from the suspected cases. All samples were tested positive for scrub typhus. To date, there are 9 cases with 3 deaths.

(Source: ProMED-mail 17 September 2011)

Eleven cases of travel-associated Legionnaires‘ Disease were reported over one month from the town of Lazise, Italy. No evidence has been found to incriminate one specific source.

(Source: ProMED-mail 15 September 2011)

In Sri Lanka, Chilaw regional health authorities have restricted entrance to the Maradankulama Tank after receiving information from Public Health Officers in the region about the spread of Leptospirosis. A death had already been reported from the region with a few more residents having symptoms.

(Source: ProMED-mail 13 September 2011)

As of 15 September 2011, there have been 15 confirmed and 9 suspected cases of Melioidosis in Taiwan, with most of them concentrated in Kaohsiung City and Pingtung County.

A Listeriosis outbreak occurred in New Mexico of USA. Three people in the state have already died of the disease, 2 men from Bernalillo County and a woman from Curry County. Six others have been hospitalized. There are 11 similar cases in Colorado and officials suspected the culprit is contaminated cantaloupe.

As of 10 September, the Ministry of Health of Singapore has reported 4 117 cases of Dengue Fever and 15 cases of Haemorrhagic Dengue Fever this year.

(Source: Ministry of Health, Singapore 14 September 2011)

The outbreak of Dengue Fever in Punjab of Pakistan has affected thousands of people, of whom 11 died.

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)

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