Current Travel Health News

As the situation in Egypt continues to deteriorate, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has raised the outbound travel alert (OTA) for the country to black.  Hong Kong 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 30 January 2011)

Egypt announced a new case of human H5N1 Avian Influenza infection. The case was a 7-year-old child from Gharbia Governorate. The child was under treatment at hospital and was in stable condition. Of the 122 cases confirmed to date in Egypt, 40 have been fatal.

(Source: ProMED-mail 28 January 2011)

In Japan, outbreaks of H5 Avian Influenza were reported in poultry farms in Miyazaki and Aichi Prefectures. In addition, wild birds were tested positive for the virus in Hokkaido.

(Source: ProMED-mail 25 and 29 January 2011)

In the Philippines, an outbreak of Dengue Fever affecting 19 people with one death was reported in Santiago City in Isabela province.

(Source: ProMED-mail 24 January 2011)

In view of the current outbreak of Yellow Fever in Uganda, East African health authorities have tightened their surveillance of the disease at border control points, including compulsory Yellow Fever vaccination for travellers within East Africa.

(Source: ProMED-mail 28 January 2011)

Venezuela reported 37 cases of Cholera in the country, all of them related to a group that travelled from Venezuela to the Dominican Republic in order to attend a family celebration. The consumption of undercooked lobsters harvested from the coast close to the border with Haiti was believed to be the cause of the disease. At least 4 other people coming from USA, Mexico and Spain were also affected in the same event.

The 2 cases of Cholera reported in the US were residents of Boston. After returning to Boston they developed diarrhoea. Four other possible cases who had attended the same wedding were identified.

Following the hostage taking incident in the Philippines which had caused casualties, the Hong Kong SAR 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)