Current Travel Health News

WHO reported that, as of 23 June 2011, 2 966 cases of Enterohemorrhagic E. coli infection and 870 cases of haemolytic uraemic syndrome, a total of 3 836 cases have been reported in 16 countries. There were 3 717 cases reported in Germany alone, with 43 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 24 June 2011)

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

Egypt announced a new case of human H5N1 Avian Influenza infection. The case was a 27-year-old male from Qena governorate, Deshna district. He developed symptoms on 5 June 2011 and was hospitalized. He died on 14 June 2011. Of the 150 cases confirmed to date in Egypt, 52 have been fatal.

(Source: World Health Organization 22 June 2011)

India has reported 36 fatal cases of suspected Japanese Encephalitis in Bihar in the past week. All of them were children and mostly from poorest families in the region. State government decided to carry out intensive spraying of insecticide to kill mosquitoes in affected villages.

(Source: ProMED-mail 23 June 2011)

Canada has issued a health alert for Mumps virus infection for the British Columbia following an outbreak earlier this spring. A total of 77 people have contracted the disease. About 70 per cent of the cases were between 18 and 35 years of age. The authority is asking parents to immunize their children with mumps vaccine.

(Source: ProMED-mail 22 June 2011)

In Canada, an outbreak of Measles affecting 330 people was reported in Quebec.

(Source: ProMED-mail 20 June 2011)

Belgium is experiencing an epidemic of Measles. About 400 people have contracted measles this year, compared with about 40 in the whole of 2010.

(Source: ProMED-mail 26 June 2011)

In UK, a total of 496 cases of Measles were reported in the first five months of this year, surpassed the 374 cases for the whole of 2010. Most cases were in London and the south east, with children and teenagers were most commonly affected.

(Source: ProMED-mail 26 June 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)