Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (5 November 2012)
An outbreak of Rift Valley fever was detected in Mauritania since September 2012. As of 30 October 2012, 34 cases and 17 deaths had been reported from 6 regions in the country.
(Source: World Health Organization 1 November 2012)
An outbreak of Yellow fever was detected in the central and southern regions of Darfur, Sudan. Since the 1st week of October 2012, a total of 84 suspected cases including 32 deaths have been reported. The local health authority has implemented outbreak control measures including vector control, disease surveillance and a mass vaccination campaign for the at risk population.
(Source: ProMED-mail 31October 2012)
Uganda: Marburg Haemorrhagic Fever [Update]
As of 28 October 2012, a total of 18 cases of Marburg Haemorrhagic Fever infection and 9 deaths have been reported from 5 districts namely Kabale district, in south-western Uganda, Kampala (the capital city), Ibanda, Mbarara and Kabarole.
(Source: World Health Organisation 31 October 2012)
On 26 October 2012, a fatal case of Hantavirus infection was reported in Manitoba, Canada. The deceased was a middle-aged man who has contacted mouse droppings before the onset of illness. This was the first recorded fatality there since 2000.
(Source: ProMED-mail 29 October 2012)
Scrub typhus continued to affect Alwar and 11 other district of India and a total of 140 cases have been reported from various parts of the state. Of these,14 people died of the infection.
(Source: ProMED-mail 26 October 2012)
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)
Philippines: Black Travel Alert
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)
WHO FAQs: Japan Nuclear Concerns
For more information, please visit the World Health Organization webpage.