Current Travel Health News

The Vietnam Ministry of Health reported this year’s second confirmed human case of H5N1 Avian Influenza. The case was a 26-year-old female patient in Soc Trang province who was brought to the hospital on 23 January after showing fever symptoms and died on 28 January. According to investigation, she had slaughtered birds and eaten infected meat in an area where there had been mass poultry deaths.

 

(Source: ProMED-mail 1 February 2012)

The Ministry of Health of Spain reported on 1 February that in the last week, Influenza cases had doubled over the previous week with a rate of 198 cases per 100 000 inhabitants in Canary Islands, representing an epidemic situation. The H3 subtype, presumably the A(H3N2) current seasonal strain, was the only one that had been isolated from samples taken from patients. The situation was similar to the rest of Spain.

 

(Source: ProMED-mail 3 February 2012)

The Typhoid Fever outbreak since last October in Zimbabwe continued, which had affected more than 1 500 people. Cases increased at a rate of an average of 30 to 50 per day.

 

(Source: Promed Mail 1February 2012)

In El Salvador, there had been 11 521 consultations due to diarrhoea in the first week of 2012, 4 112 more consultations than those registered during the same period in last year. Of the 109 stool samples collected for testing of Rotavirus, 51 were positive.

 

(Source: ProMED-mail 28 January 2012)

In Cayman Islands, at least 20 people were affected by Food Poisoning just hours after attending the 2012 Taste of Cayman event in the evening on 28^th January. Based on the symptoms, it is believed to be caused by consumption of food contaminated by the toxins produced by the bacteria, Stapylococcus aureus.

 

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)